Stock Paid parking Sharjah
A paid parking meter in Sharjah. Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News Archives

Sharjah: Sharjah City Municipality (SCM) has launched a digital service for issuing and renewing public parking subscriptions on its website. The new service comes as part of the civic body efforts to digitalise its services and facilitate procedures for customers.

The launch of parking subscription digital service is part of the municipality’s objective to convert all its services into fully digital.

Thabit Al Turaifi, Director General of Sharjah Municipality, said that the launch of this service reflects the municipality’s keenness to provide the best services to the public and reduce time and effort on their part.

Khalid bin Falah Al Suwaidi, Assistant General Manager of the Customer Service Sector, explained that the municipality has provided customers with many options to benefit from public parking services, either through the traditional method of payment through fee payment machines available in all regions, or through text messages or parking in investment yards. Parking permits are also available through seasonal subscriptions, whether annual, semi-annual (6 months), or for three months.

How to renew parking subscriptions
* Visit the Sharjah Municipality website.
* Choose electronic and smart services
* Choose services of the Public Parking Department, then the option of “parking subscriptions”.
* Follow the required steps to renew the subscription and payment.

Al Suwaidi pointed out that these subscription started with the Public Parking Department in 2007, and with the development of inspection techniques and systems, the Department converted these subscriptions into virtual formats after stickers were placed on the windshield of the vehicle. The digital initiative is the latest in this continuous improvement process.

Ali Ahmad Abu Ghazeen, Director of the Public Parking Department, said the municipality has provided easy steps to subscribe or renew by visiting the municipality’s website. He pointed out that the municipality issued during the past year 4,477 new subscriptions and renewed 13,183 subscriptions. This service provides additional flexibility for customers to pay parking fees to choose the type of subscription appropriate for them in exchange for a nominal price that leads to avoid being fined.