SHANGHAI has opened 49 night parking areas along local streets in response to the increasing demands for more spaces to park vehicles at night.

Government officials said yesterday that about 1,500 cars will be allowed on quieter streets by the end of the year from 6:30pm to 7am on weekdays as well as on weekends and holidays.

The cars cannot use the parking spaces at other times as doing so would hamper traffic flows, said Zhang Lei, a traffic police officer in Hongkou District. “The scheme has been popular among residents in Hongkou where parking space is insufficient especially in some old residential communities.” Most drivers don’t abuse the time limits, Zhang added.