Sharjah eases free parking service for people of determination

People of determination (PoD) in Sharjah no longer have to place their ID cards behind their cars' windshields to get free parking. Now, these cards will be automatically linked to the municipality's public parking system.

PoD cards had to be left visible to avoid fines for failing to pay parking fees. However, sometimes, patrol cameras and scanning vehicles are not able to detect cards placed on dashboards.

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Now, with the new integrated system, PoD cards would be registered with the Sharjah City Municipality by default.

"The municipality relies heavily on smart inspections of public parking spaces; however, scanning vehicles are able to read only vehicle plates. So, cards for people of determination — often placed in front of the vehicle — are not within the vehicles' reading range," explained Hamed Al Qaed, director of the Public Parking Department at the Sharjah City Municipality.

"This results in parking violations being recorded against people of determination, who are supposed to get free parking," he added. The new automated service solves this issue.

Al Qaed urged PoD card holders to register in their integrated public parking system, which will allow them to use all parking lots for free, without leaving their cards on their cars.

"It adds more flexibility for people with disabilities when using Sharjah City parking lots and saves them time and effort," he added.

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