Han Ximin

    Ximhan@126.com

    SHENZHEN transportation commission unveiled Thursday two options on parking fee hikes at commercial facilities to seek public opinion before a public hearing is held Aug. 21.

    Non-commercial parking facilities at residential properties and government agencies aren’t included, the commission said at a press conference.

    According to the commission, the parking fees will differ based on locations, which are categorized into three classes, with Category A areas such as the CBDs in Futian, Luohu, Nanshan, Longgang and Bao’an districts and Longhua New Area being the most expensive places to park.

    Plan A will charge a maximum of 228 yuan (US$36) on weekdays and Plan B 300 yuan.

    According to Plan A, parking in Category A areas would cost 6 yuan per 30 minutes between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. during weekdays. The fees in Category B and C areas will be reduced to 4 yuan and 2 yuan per 30 minutes. During weekends, the fee for Category A areas would be 3 yuan per 30 minutes, and 2 yuan and 1 yuan per 30 minutes in Category B and C areas.

    The time period for fee calculation is no more than 14 hours.

    If a car driver parks in a Category A area for two hours, the driver needs to pay a 24 yuan adjustment fee. When the existing parking fee of 20 yuan (two hours) is included, the driver needs to pay 44 yuan in total.

    If the driver parks for 10 hours (8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.), he/she would need to pay 180 yuan, which includes a 120 yuan adjustment fee and a 60 yuan parking fee.

    (Continued on P3)

    Plan B calculates parking hourly, with 5 yuan for every 30 minutes in Category A areas, and 3 yuan and 2 yuan per 30 minutes in Category B and C areas during working hours.

    If a driver parks their car for 10 hours (8:30 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.), they would need to pay 160 yuan, including a 100 yuan adjustment fee and a 60 yuan parking fee.

    The fee drops to 3 yuan every 30 minutes during weekends in Category A areas and 2 yuan and 1 yuan in Category B and C areas.

    Parking for 24 hours in Shenzhen currently costs 60 yuan maximum, which is less than that in Beijing (134 yuan), Shanghai (240 yuan) and Guangzhou (128 yuan).

    The adjustment of the fee will be based on the average vehicle speeds in the area. If the average vehicle speed is higher than 30 kilometers per houri after three months in a Category A area, the fee will drop to 2 yuan per 30 minutes. If the average speed is lower than 23 kilometers per hour, the fee will be increased to 2 yuan per 30 minutes.

    Cars move at an average speed of 22.15 kilometers per hour during rush hour, which the commission said equates to a slight traffic jam. The average speed of vehicles in the city’s CBDs during rush hour has been 24.5 kilometers per hour over the past few months.

    The number of vehicles in Shenzhen will reach 3 million this October if growth continues at 17 percent a year.

    Residents can give their suggestion by emailing to SZTCTJF@126.com. by 6 p.m. on August 20.