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Reverse parking could bump into Dh200 fine

The Sharjah Police started issuing fines on motorists parking their cars with the front facing the road on parking bays, as the act violates one of the traffic rules, officials said.

Col. Ahmed bin Darwish, Director of Traffic and Patrols at the Sharjah Police, said this is mentioned as an offence under No. 118 of the traffic rules of the emirate in the category of abuse of parking space.

The violation will invite a fine of Dh200 and the driver will get three black points, he added.

“Drivers have to park their vehicles in the same way they are told to do while in driving schools. Street parking is not designed for reverse parking and those doing it cause inconvenience to other road users and the traffic in general as the driver has to first drive and then come backward while other cars on the road wait all the time.” He said that the fine was part of the department’s campaign to ensure good usage of parking space as a number of motorists had complained about its abuse in the emirate.

He said that the campaign will continue for the coming weeks and urged road users to abide by the rules. Salman Abdullah, a resident of Buhairah corniche, was one of the motorists who was fined for the violation.

When Abdullah found a ticket on his vehicle’s windscreen, he thought it was placed by mistake, before he stared in disbelief at the car number on the ticket.

He rushed to the traffic police as he was sure his car was parked in the right place and he did not commit any offence. At the department, his surprise turned into a shock when the policeman told him that he had to pay the fine under a penalty dubbed “abuse of parking.”

“It is not only the fine but this offence also involves three black points… I was told that I abused the parking space by parking my car in a reverse direction,” Abdullah said.

“I again made clear that my car was parked in the right place and safely… but they again stressed that the car’s back rather than the front must face the road.”

Khaleed Al Marzouqi, another resident working in Al Majaz area, said he used to park the car in reverse for the last three years, but was fined only on Tuesday.

“Why cant they first warn us that something we do everyday is wrong and then fine us,” he said.

This is the second parking fine to be announced in less than a month in an emirate struck with acute shortage of parking. The Sharjah Municipality last month announced Dh200 fine on motorists who wrongly park their vehicle over two bays.

afkarali@khaleejtimes.com