Karachi to get free parking as KMC waives all fees

KARACHI: The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has decided to make all its parking sites free of charge, ARY News reported.

According to reports, Mayor Karachi Murtaza Wahab announced that KMC will no longer collect parking fees at its designated sites. A notification will soon be issued to officially remove the parking fee burden from citizens.

Mayor Karachi further stated that KMC is now financially stable, with over Rs 2 billion in its accounts and more expected.

He added that KMC no longer needs Rs 40 to 50 million from parking fees, and legal action will be taken against those collecting money under KMC’s name.

The mayor confirmed that parking fees will no longer be charged at 46 out of 106 main roads under KMC. However, the fee will remain in place at 25 towns and 6 cantonment board areas.

Earlier, the Karachi administration imposed a ban on double parking on the busiest roads of the city to address the growing traffic congestion.

Read More: Double parking banned in Karachi

The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Commissioner Karachi, Hassan Naqvi, who emphasised the need for better traffic management and the enforcement of charged parking regulations.

During the meeting, DIG Traffic Karachi Ahmed Nawaz revealed that there are currently 201 charged parking areas in Karachi, with around 130 of these located on major roads. However, the presence of illegal and double-parking spots, particularly in the South District, has been playing a major in growing traffic issues, he added.

The DIG Traffic also reported that these unauthorised parking spots are causing significant disruption to the flow of traffic in the city.

It was mutually decided in the meeting that, the authorities will ensure that parking contractors comply with the regulations, and those found violating the rules will face the cancellation of their permits. Both the district administration and traffic police are expected to work together to enforce these rules effectively.

In addition, the meeting also discussed the closure of ticket counters for intercity buses operating within Karachi. These offices, which have been contributing to congestion, will no longer be allowed to issue tickets in the city. The Transport Secretary has been tasked with ensuring that no tickets are sold from these counters, as part of a broader effort to reduce traffic pressure.

These measures are part of the ongoing efforts to improve Karachi’s traffic management and ensure smoother movement across the city. The authorities are hopeful that the strict enforcement of these new rules will lead to a reduction in traffic jams and an overall improvement in the city’s road safety.