UAE: Sharjah Residents Turn to Parking Subscriptions with Extended Blue Zone hours
Comparatively to the past 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule, the latest expansion of paid parking hours in Sharjah, effective November 1, compels drivers to pay for parking from 8 a.m. to midnight.
In places designated with blue and white curb marks, this 16-hour paid parking restriction covers seven days a week including public holidays. With this shift, Sharjah residents and employees are choosing monthly parking subscriptions through the municipality and private parking companies more and more to control their expenses and ease everyday headaches.
Living on Jamal Abdul Naser Road, Amr Abdul Aziz told how the alteration inspired him to sign up for the monthly parking scheme run by Sharjah Municipality. Although Abdul Aziz's family owns two cars, their building just offers one designated parking spot. As such, their second car depends on the blue-zone parking available in the municipality.
In the past, Abdul Aziz would park his car after returning from work in Dubai about 8 p.m., paying Dh5 for a couple of hours of parking each evening, which, considering weekend usage, came to about Dh150 monthly. But the changed parking hours resulted in higher parking fees, which drove his monthly cost beyond Dh200. This made him register for the monthly subscription of the municipality, which runs Dh190 with all fees included. Aziz says the membership not only saves him money but also relieves everyday worry about making sure his parking ticket is paid.
For those like Abdul Aziz, the changed paid parking hours provide a sensible way to balance their parking needs with the simplicity of consistent monthly expenses. The way the municipality marks parking zones with blue and white curb paint and associated signage makes it simple for cars to observe usage rules and find paid parking places.
Other Sharjah people are also getting used to the changed parking arrangement. With the longer working hours, Lebanese expatriate baker Layla Muhammed—who lives in Al Nahda—faced higher expenses. She used to avoid the blue-zone parking costs at her bakery by walking 1.5 kilometers from her house. Longer hours, though, finally made her rethink. "Walking the long distance every day was getting tired," Layla remarked. She now chooses to subscribe to the municipal parking plan instead and drive to work. Previously depending on a private parking membership close by her house, she has found the municipal option more practical for meeting her demands for parking both at home and at work.
Choosing the monthly plan of the municipality has become a sensible decision for many people like Layla since it allows them to better control parking expenses given the longer hours.
Sharjah residents and employees are adjusting their schedules with the new paid parking schedule covering all seven days, including holidays. For many who had avoided parking fees during evening hours or weekends, the extension of paid parking hours signifies a change and piques more interest in subscription models that streamline and stabilize parking charges.
Sharjah's change in parking rules shows a general trend toward providing more adaptable and predictable parking options that fit changing needs of its citizens. More people seem to favor the assurance of a flat monthly cost that lowers daily payment stress while keeping simple access to parking based on this prolonged parking schedule and associated demand for subscriptions.