Sharjah extends paid parking hours to midnight

The first night of Sharjah's new midnight parking rule brought relief to some residents, but not to everyone. While some motorists finally managed to park close to home without spending 20 to 30 minutes searching, others said roadworks, heavy traffic and busy commercial areas continued to make finding a space difficult. From July 1, paid public parking hours across Sharjah were extended to midnight, as opposed to the earlier 10pm cut-off. The municipality said the move followed a detailed study of parking demand and feedback from residents and visitors. Officials earlier said that the seasonal parking subscription holders, as well as customers visiting restaurants and cafeterias, often struggled to find parking after 10pm. On the first day of the new rule, residents across different neighbourhoods reported mixed results. Some found parking more easily, while others said it was too early to judge. Sharjah Municipality has said the extension of paid parking hours is intended to improve parking availability, increase turnover and reduce misuse of public parking spaces, particularly in busy residential and commercial areas.