SHENZHEN traffic authorities are revising a 4-month-old parking rule and introducing colored signs in hopes of making it easier to park on the roadside without being fined.

    The parking rules had met with criticism for its high parking fees and complicated paying procedures from drivers.

    Car owners in Shenzhen will soon enjoy free roadside parking beginning at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. The transportation commission is also considering allowing free roadside parking for a 10-minute period. Currently, motorists have to pay for roadside parking after five minutes.

    Meanwhile, the commission said it will introduce a new system of color-coded signs for roadside parking spaces. Nighttime parking spaces will be painted green and full-day parking places painted red.

    The decision was made four months after the city started charging for roadside parking, which the government said aimed to relieve congestion.

    On Monday, the commission said that they had achieved their target and would “lower and optimize” the parking fees.

    Many motorists have complained that the standard fee of roadside parking in Shenzhen is too high.

    “The parking fee is very high. I have to pay 5 yuan (US$0.81) for the first 30 minutes and then an additional 10 yuan for every 30 minutes. It costs me 15 yuan for the first hour,” said a resident, surnamed Zhong, suggesting that the authorities lower roadside parking fees. “But in a parking lot nearby, it costs me only 7 yuan for the first hour.”

    Some drivers also criticized the five-minute free parking period as too short for drivers to park temporarily.

    “You can’t unload goods at the roadside because the fee is too high, the rule has affected my business,” complained a shop owner, identified as Long, who has a shop at Longcheng Road in Longgang District.

    In some less-congested areas, such as Longgang District, some roads were also designated for fee collection. This led some drivers to believe the government’s real goal was to raise money and not actually relieve congestion.

    If drivers don’t park their cars at designated roadside parking places, they will be fined for illegal parking. However, if a motorist parks inside a parking place, they will have to pay a double fine if they park overtime.

    Zheng Xueding, a deputy to Shenzhen Municipal People’s Congress, said the roadside parking places are underused because of the high parking fees.

    “The government should consider the full use of road resources and drivers’ convenience instead of simply implementing fee collection rules,” Zheng said.

    (Han Ximin)