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       KARACHI: The Sindh government on Friday officially abolished all roadside charged parking across Karachi — a practice that had long been seen by Karachiites as a gross exploitation of taxpayers, carried out on city roads for the past 25 years. The decision comes into effect at once.

       The Sindh local government department, acting on the directives of the chief minister of Sindh, issued a notification announcing the end of parking fees on public roads throughout the city’s 25 Town Municipal Corporations (TMCs).

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       As per the new policy, no municipal body or private entity is allowed to collect any parking fee from vehicles parked on roads anywhere in Karachi.

       However, the move also granted the councils of the TMCs the authority to designate any ‘specified area’ within their remit as a charged parking space.

       According to the notification, the Sindh chief minister “imposed a ban on charged parking fees from roads. The charged parking fees can be collected only on plots / plazas / areas specifically maintained by the specific Councils for such purposes”.

       TMCs given authority to designate ‘specified area’ as charged parking space; fee collection will continue in cantonment board areas

       Effective immediately, all Town Municipal Administrations (TMAs) have been ordered to stop the collection of parking fees and begin implementation of the policy without delay.

       The local government department has also launched a formal campaign to enforce this directive, with warnings of strict action against violators. Importantly, the ban applies strictly to public roads.

       Parking fees will now only be legally permissible in designated parking plazas, private plots, or specific council-approved zones. These areas are expected to be clearly marked to avoid confusion.

       “This step has been taken purely in public interest,” said City Mayor Murtaza Wahab.

       “Karachi’s residents have long demanded and at times suffered at the hands of illegal and arbitrary parking fee collection. This administration has delivered on its promise of transparency and accountability, ensuring that public roads remain public spaces — free to use.”

       However, an official clarified that the charged parking would continue within the jurisdiction of six cantonment boards in Karachi. The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) sources revealed that the concept of charged parking in Karachi was first introduced in the year 2000.

       The initiative was envisioned by the then director general of the Karachi Development Authority (KDA), retired brigadier Abdul Haq, as part of a broader strategy to generate municipal revenue. At that time, he was overseeing the city’s infrastructure development and urban planning, and saw paid parking as a potential tool to fund civic services and manage growing vehicular congestion in the metropolis.

       In February 2025, Mayor Murtaza Wahab hinted at abolishing the charged parking across Karachi as part of his broader vision to ease the financial burden on citizens.

       However, the initiative faced delays due to existing contractual obligations, as several entities held valid charged parking agreements, which were set to expire in June.

       During this period, the KMC continued to generate an average yearly revenue of Rs40 to 50 million from parking fees.

       The abolition has been hailed by citizens and commuters as one of the most significant urban relief measures in recent years.

       For decades, unauthorised contractors and so-called “parking mafias” had monopolised prime city spots, often charging arbitrary fees without any legal basis or standardised rate.

       The KMC, which previously managed parking on 46 main roads, had already suspended such fees under a citywide policy revamp. Now, all 25 TMCs fall under the same directive, having a level playing field across the city.

       The decision, the officials say, also reflects growing confidence in the financial stability of the KMC and other urban bodies, who are now able to carry out their operations without resorting to street-level revenue generation tactics that burdened citizens.

       “No institution other than KMC in designated areas, and that too under regulation, can now engage in fee collection. The days of extortion in the name of parking are over,” said a KMC spokesperson, adding that the government had also directed all municipal commissioners to ensure compliance, with a clear warning that failure to implement the order would result in immediate disciplinary measures.

       Published in Dawn, July 26th, 2025