Ever rushed to pay for parking in Sharjah, only to worry about getting fined if you’re a minute late? Here’s a reassuring update: Sharjah drivers can now breathe easier, with a guaranteed 10-minute grace period every time they use a public parking space, even if you’re just hopping to a new spot for a quick errand.
According to Hamed Al Qaed, Director of Public Parking at Sharjah City Municipality, the system automatically resets your grace window every time you park, giving every motorist a fair chance to settle payment before any violations are recorded. Whether parking inspectors are on foot or using the latest digital scanning vehicles, this customer-friendly rule is always in play, making city parking less stressful for everyone.
How Parking Slots Are Monitored
Sharjah’s smart parking system uses digital scanning vehicles equipped with high-speed cameras and sensors to monitor paid parking zones. These vehicles can scan up to 3,000 cars per hour, detecting each vehicle’s licence plate and checking payment status in real time, including payments made through ticket machines, SMS, and smart apps. Here’s how it works for every parking session:
• When you park, the scanning vehicle takes an initial reading of all cars in the zone and records licence plates.
• After 10 minutes, it returns for a second scan. If payment has been made in that window, no violation is recorded, giving drivers a genuine grace period to sort out their parking fee.
• The vehicle’s processor stores images and data, which are sent to parking inspectors to flag any violations. The system checks for payment via any authorised method and automatically grants a fresh 10-minute window when a car moves to a new parking spot, even if the car moves within the same general area.
How Grace Period Is Applied And Verified
• The system renews your grace period as soon as your car is detected in a different location. Every new reading starts the countdown again, so you’ll always get the benefit of those 10 minutes before a fine can be issued.
• This technology ensures the grace period is consistently applied and verified, whether a car is monitored by a scanning vehicle or by a foot inspector, making the parking experience in Sharjah fairer and more convenient for motorists.
Parking in a New Zone
When a car changes parking zones in Sharjah, the 10-minute grace period is automatically renewed for every new parking session. Here’s how it works:
• The digital scanning vehicle or inspector records your car’s license plate whenever you park in a new zone.
• The system checks its previous readings for that specific parking area.
• If your vehicle is recognised as arriving in a new location, regardless of how recently it was parked elsewhere, the system grants you a fresh 10-minute grace window before any fine can be issued.
• Even if you move between spots within the same neighbourhood, as long as the system detects your car at a new parking site, the 10-minute countdown resets.
This process ensures all drivers are treated fairly, giving you a chance to pay for parking with every fresh stop, and is consistently enforced by both scanning vehicles and inspectors on foot.
