Public spaces: Charged parking for New MA Jinnah Road

KARACHI:

The City District Government Karachi has decided to charge for parking at New M.A. Jinnah Road.

“A parking fee of Rs10 will be charged per vehicle being parked by car showroom owners soon after the area falls under the charged parking net,” confirmed local taxes officer Waseem Soomro while talking to PPI.

The city cannot charge more than this. Community wardens would be posted to these spots to ensure that people paid up. The road is lined by car showrooms that take up a large part of the road with their vehicles. They will have to start paying but the EDO said that they could not be relocated as there was no alternative place. This decision was taken by the newly appointed District Coordination Officer Roshan Ali Sheikh a couple of days ago when he inspected the strip.  A few months ago it was proposed that the auto showroom owners relocate their business to the two floors of the CDGK parking plaza near Empress Market. But these businesses reportedly refused as they said that the location was not feasible.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2011.