Parking fees abolished across Karachi

KARACHI:

Sindh government abolished parking charges on all roads across Karachi’s 25 towns, notified local government department on Friday. The order follows directives from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah and is part of a broader parking policy aimed at ensuring free parking in public spaces across the city.

“Providing free parking to citizens is a top priority,” said Karachi Mayor Murtaza Wahab, adding that the decision was taken in the public interest and that the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) remains financially stable.

With this move, parking fees will now only be permissible in designated plazas, commercial plots, and council-specified areas. “No institution will now be allowed to collect parking fees on public roads,” the notification said.

The ban applies to 46 main city roads where implementation is already underway. The policy also extends to the rest of the city’s roads in a phased manner. The Local Government Department has launched a formal campaign to enforce the policy.

All Town Municipal Corporations have been directed to immediately end parking fee collection. “Strict instructions have been issued to municipal commissioners, and failure to comply will result in legal action.”

The department also warned against illegal fee collection. “Legal action has begun against the parking mafia; illegal fee collectors will not be spared,” the statement added.

Authorities have reiterated that any fee collection outside the designated legal zones is now prohibited. “Immediate action will be taken against municipal authorities that fail to enforce the new rules,” the government noted.

The new directive follows the earlier KMC decision to end parking fees, expanding the policy across all 25 town administrations in Karachi.

“This is a citizen-first move,” said Mayor Wahab, adding that the policy was enacted keeping public convenience in mind.