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Sameh Said
Doha
Shopping mall owners in Qatar have called for a hike in parking fees as many people leave their vehicles at commercial complexes for long hours ” sometimes even after the closing hours ” owing to low fees, which sometimes can pose a 'security risk'.
The issue was discussed recently at a meeting held by Qatar Chamber's Committee on Trade and Research. The meeting was attended by owners of several shopping malls, including Royal Plaza Complex, Towar Mall, Maras real estate and City Center Complex.
They said the parking fees set by the Ministry of Economy and Commerce (MEC) were"just symbolic and encourage people to park their cars in the complexes for long hours and even after the closing time which could pose a security risk".
They said the MEC should determine the parking fee for the first two hours and then management of the complex should determine the fees for the hours thereafter.
Last April, the MEC had announced a 60-day grace period for the markets and shopping centres to adopt the new fee structure for regular parking and VIP and valet services.
According to the new fee structure, QR2 is to be paid by vehicle owners for the first and second hours of parking, respectively, while QR3 will be charged for the third and the fourth hours. QR5 will be charged for each additional hour after the fifth one. The maximum fee per day is QR70.
The fee for the valet parking service is QR30 and the fee for VIP parking service is QR60.
The new fee structure also exempts customers from any fee if they spend 30 minutes without being able to find a parking.
Renting a parking area of any market or commercial complex to other entities is prohibited without the ministry's approval. The mall owners said electricity tariffs levied on commercial complexes are"very high" and appealed for a"more affordable rate".
