Longer weekend park stays? Prepare to pay more for parking

While many say there's no such thing as a free lunch, Shenzhen's public parks are one of the best free gifts to local residents. Well-designed and meticulously maintained, these parks are open to the public free of charge — which explains why they draw large crowds on weekends and holidays.

The entrance to a parking lot at Shenzhen Bay Park. File photo

This popularity has led to a persistent shortage of parking at the most frequented parks. Past incidents — such as touts offering paid reservation services and RVs occupying spaces at Shenzhen Bay Park for extended periods — have sparked public controversy.

To ensure more visitors can access these precious spots, the city plans to introduce a tiered billing system that discourages parking over four hours on weekends and holidays. 

Recently, the city's development and urban management authorities released draft regulations for public consultation. Under the proposal, weekday fees would remain unchanged, while charges for vehicles parked on non-working days would increase starting from the fifth hour.

Currently, parking fees at city parks are as follows, varying by location (downtown vs. outlying areas) and time period:

Weekday peak hours (8:00–20:00): 10 yuan for the first hour and 1 yuan per half hour thereafter in downtown areas, compared to 5 yuan and 0.5 yuan respectively in outlying areas.

Weekday off-peak hours (20:00–8:00): 1 yuan per hour in downtown areas and 0.5 yuan per hour in outlying areas.

Non-working days: 4 yuan for the first hour and 1 yuan per hour from the second hour onward in downtown areas; 3 yuan and 0.5 yuan respectively in outlying areas.

The proposed changes focus solely on non-working days: in downtown areas, the fee rises to 1.5 yuan per half hour from the fifth hour onward; in outlying areas, it rises to 0.75 yuan per half hour from the fifth hour onward.

These rates apply to small passenger cars; fees for other vehicle types are slightly higher. The draft also requires all park parking lots to display their pricing schemes clearly at entrances and payment booths, along with supervision and complaint hotlines to ensure public oversight.