LAHORE, July 15: The city district government will launch Pakistan’s first ever metered parking project here by the end of this year, an official said on Tuesday.

At a ceremony to sign a Rs36 million agreement on the launch of the parking project with Paksat Chief Executive Usman Bajwa here, District Coordination Officer Sajjad Ahmed Bhutta said 16 metered parking units would be set up at Liberty Market, MM Alam Road and Gulberg’s Main Boulevard under this project. Each unit would have a parking space for 60 vehicles. Metered parking would be introduced in other parts of the city later.

Bhutta said Paksat’s parent body, Suparco, would import metered parking equipment for the project from France in 17 weeks. Suparco was the only bidder for the project advertised by the city district government on the internet. Payment for metered parking would be made through the cards, which would be easily available. Parking rates had not been finalised so far, but these would be affordable.