JEDDAH: The first phase of the project to establish an automated system for paid parking lots in central Jeddah has begun. The Jeddah municipality has prepared approximately 8,000 parking locations downtown with parking charges of SR3 per hour.

Once the new project is functional, Jeddah’s residents will pay in the first phase around SR24,000 per hour for the benefit of the municipality, amounting to SR576,000 a day and SR 17.2 million a month. The total annual payment is expected to reach more than SR207 million during the first phase of the project.

Mohammed Al-Bugami, official spokesman for Jeddah municipality, said that the body had implemented and developed the infrastructure for about 8,000 parking lots in downtown Jeddah. “Work is still on going in order to increase the number of parking lots,” he said.

He added that 1,199 parking lots were in the historic area of the city in addition to 658 parking lots in the first and second phases of the project between Mina and Dhahab streets up to Almakhzoumi Street.

“Work is going on to install road signs and traffic signals for about 6,000 parking lots in Balad and the market area in Bab Makkah and Hindawiya,” he said.

Al-Bugami noted that the civil works had been completed in the third phase which will include 492 parking lots. “Work is under way and the parking lots are provided at both entrances and exits with electronic gates and surveillance cameras.”

He said paid parking lots would achieve the goals of providing wide and safe pedestrian sidewalks by developing and rehabilitating the pavements for people and persons with special needs.

He added that the parking lots had led to smooth traffic movement on the streets for the emergency and Civil Defense vehicles, and improved the urban environment of the streets.

“All this has been reflected positively in the shopping centers along the streets because buyers and visitors can easily find a parking place with minimum charge even at the most crowded times,” he said.