Sharjah, UAE โ In a move aimed at easing parking congestion and improving accessibility for residents, Sharjah Municipality has announced extended paid parking hours in select seven-day zones.
Starting November 1, 2023, motorists will be required to pay for parking from 8 a.m. to midnight, two hours longer than the current 10 p.m. cutoff. This change is expected to deter non-residents who park overnight and has been widely welcomed by locals eager for accessible parking closer to their homes.
For Abu Ahmed, a long-time resident of Sharjah, the extended hours come as a relief after enduring consistent difficulty in finding parking. โGetting a parking spot in my neighborhood has become a headache because shop vehicles and commercial cars would be taking up several slots.
These vehicles would park after 10 p.m., when parking becomes free, and would be gone before charges start again in the morning,โ Ahmed said. โWith these extended paid parking hours, I am sure finding a parking spot wonโt be that much hassle.โ
The revised schedule, applicable in seven-day zones marked by blue signs, applies throughout the week and even on public holidays, according to Sharjah Municipality. The 16-hour paid parking period is designed to keep spots available in areas with heavy demand, particularly for residents who struggle to find spaces near their homes during peak hours.
The new measure has also been welcomed by local delivery drivers who often face challenges parking in commercial zones. Mashooq Khan, who works for a delivery company, described how difficult it was to find parking in the evenings.
โI drive around quite a bit to find a proper place to park my car, especially because I need to carry bulky items to deliver to customers. But I am not always successful because parking spaces are full,โ he said. โThis new initiative from Sharjah Municipality will improve chances of getting parking closer to places where I want to park.โ
The expanded parking hours come amid a notable increase in parking demand throughout Sharjah, particularly in neighborhoods bordering Dubai, where a recent influx of new tenants has driven up parking occupancy rates.
The intensified demand has led some private parking lot operators to increase fees, adding to the pressure on local residents. Expat Saleem Noman noted that he has had to shoulder these additional costs due to a lack of public parking options.
โI used to pay Dh250 monthly to park my car in a private parking lot, but now the rate has gone up to Dh300. In Al Majaz, where access to main roads is faster, rates have increased to Dh350,โ Noman explained.
Sharjah residents like Noman hope the municipalityโs decision will alleviate parking shortages and reduce the reliance on costly private lots. โWith the new measures laid down by the Sharjah Municipality, it will be easier for residents to find parking closer to their homes,โ he said.
As Sharjah continues to attract new residents, both locals and authorities are focused on balancing accessibility with practicality. The extended parking hours are part of an ongoing effort to address the emirateโs evolving transportation and infrastructure needs, making residential areas more convenient for local residents.