Pay online for your parking, then you have to make sure you get the confirmation message from the system first, the Muscat Municipality tells the public. Several cases have been reported where motorist actually sent SMS to pay their parking fee, but the system did not reply. Consequently, motorists found their vehicles being fined.
A reliable source at the Muscat Municipality clarified that motorists have to get their confirmation message and keep it available in their devices or keep the payment ticket with them to claim for compensation in case any error occurs.
Manar Ahmed, working in the Central Business District area, pays daily fee for parking her vehicle in the area. Unfortunately, she was fined recently for not paying the fee, and when she went back to check the confirmation message it was missing.
“I sent the daily message to pay for the parking, but unfortunately I didn’t get the confirmation reply from the system. It seems that the system was stuck and that led to a fine of RO 10,” said Manar.
She added that she advises everyone to make sure they receive their confirmation message so that they can avoid such situation.
The municipality official advised that such process (paying online) should be tracked till the end to avoid being fined.
“The system is in place to serve the public and since the begging everything went on smoothly, but still the motorists should keep a back up to avoid such situations,” said the source at the municipality.
Last year, the Muscat Municipality applied new tariffs for paid car parks and added new automated payment machines.
Motorists have to pay 100 baisas for every half an hour according to the decision issued by the Muscat Municipality.
The revised parking rates will be applied at all paid car parks with an addition of more payment machines, bringing their total to 288.
The municipality has extended paid car parking system in line with expansions and increasing numbers of cars.
The move also targets to tackle haphazard parking which affects the movement of traffic and
cause lot of inconvenience to the public.
The municipality has installed additional 114 automated payment machines in Al Khuwair, Al Ghubra North, Qurum Commercial district, Al Khoudh market, Seeb market, Wadi Kabir Friday Market, Al Shijayia market in Muttrah.
The paid car parks will be working from 8 am to 1 pm and from 4 pm to 9 pm every day excluding Fridays and Saturdays and official holidays.
Accordingly, an improper or reckless parking denying the right of fellow driver to park will attract a fine of RO 10, while leaving your vehicle at the parking lot designated for disabled will attract a fine of RO 20.
If one is found to be occupying the parking space of an ambulance, (it) would be an offence punishable with (a fine of) RO 100 which may lead to other legal repercussions if the offence causes delay in
getting medical assistance to the patient.
Those who want to sell their vehicles and display the same with ‘For Sale’ board in public beware, you may end up paying RO 500 as fine which is much higher than the actual advertisement charges that you might have to pay.
Those who wish to secure a parking space for a month have to apply for the same after paying RO 50, while a private parking sticker would cost RO 15 for a month.
Fahad Al Ghadani
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