SHARJAH — Sharjah Municipality has recently decided to make the paid parking zones around mosques free of charge during all the five prayer timings.
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Published: Thu 3 Aug 2006, 10:34 AM
Last updated: Thu 23 Feb 2023, 2:58 PM
Abdullah Al Amri, Director-General of Sharjah Municipality, said that the motorists who park their vehicles in paid parking zones around mosques do not have to pay for parking to go for prayers.
The 45 minutes after the Azan ( Call for prayer) would be free during prayer times including Fajr (Morning), Zoher (afternoon), Asr (Evening) and Isha (night prayer). With regard to mahgrib prayers, only 30 Minutes after Azan would be free as these prayers are not long.
He said that municipality inspectors who were deployed in the paid parking zones around the mosques have been instructed not to put fine tickets for motorists who park their vehicles around mosques during prayer timings.
Al Amri said that the move is part of the municipality’s concerns about providing best services for the public in the emirate.
The municipality has installed the new advanced meters around these mosques as part of its parking development projects which aim at organising areas and eliminating the crowds around them as well as easing traffic congestions in various parts of the emirate.
The municipality is also making efforts to cope with continuous increase of the population in the emirate.
The first quota of the new advanced paid parking meters were installed in various parts of the emirates, with priority given to busy and crowded areas.
“The parking meters will be connected to a control room at the municipality, so any violations of parking tickets will be sent directly to Sharjah Traffic Police,” said Al Amiri adding, if any technical damage happens to the system employees at the control room will be able to detect it.
Residents of Sharjah have welcomed the move of Sharjah municipality of exempting parking fees during prayers time and also hailed its efforts in installing the new advanced parking meter machines.
Mohammed Al Mahdi, a resident of Sharjah appreciated the municipality’s gesture of exempting the parking fees during prayers timings. “Before I used to be worried about parking when I went to pray in King Faisal Road, to avoid paying fine I decided to walk to the mosque near my house instead of driving my car and face problem of parking. So now I am happy and I can go to any mosque I like.”
Naeem Al Maqboul, another resident of Sharjah, said that the municipality’s move would help Muslim worshippers to concentrate on their prayers, rather than thinking of the parking fines while praying.
“The new meters are great and would help in providing advanced services for the public,” he noted.
