Osman Tarek, a doctor in his 40s, was forced to call the emergency police after an altercation with a child under 18 who was organizing car parking in front of the hospital where he works in the Mohandessin district, after the child insulted him and tried to prevent him from parking on the street near the hospital.

Osman Tarek told Asharq Al-Awsat that the problem of parking his car has become a worry for him as he is sometimes forced to move several times during the day, and there are no places to leave his car safely without entering into a negotiation over the price he pays, noting that the crisis is not only about the amounts demanded for parking for a short time, but also the 'sa'is's' insistence on keeping his car keys.

Tarek points out that parking his car near the hospital where he works used to cost him 30 pounds daily (the dollar is worth 50.5 pounds in banks), noting that this amount has doubled over the past two years, without any justification from his point of view.

Egypt approved a law regulating the parking of vehicles in streets, known in the media as the 'Sa'is Law', with the aim of maintaining traffic discipline in the street, but the law, which came into effect after the President's approval, still faces implementation problems, and several proposals have been made to activate it on the ground, especially in Cairo Governorate.

The Cairo Governorate attempted to govern the 'sa'is' system (Cairo Governorate)

Last year, the governorate announced the implementation of a system to govern the system through a uniform and a clear badge worn by the 'sa'is', supported by a code that enables the driver to identify him electronically using a mobile phone, but this has not yet been activated on the ground in most of the governorate's squares, according to what Asharq Al-Awsat observed during its tour of the streets of the Egyptian capital.

The law requires that those who practice the 'car attendant profession' hold a license from the competent authorities, with the requirement that they be literate, hold a valid driver's license, and be at least 21 years old, with no court rulings against them for a felony or a crime involving honor, along with a health certificate proving they are free from drug use.

Member of Parliament Ihab Mansour told Asharq Al-Awsat that 'the problem continues because the mechanisms for implementing the law are still not activated, whether regarding the nature of those working in the profession, or regarding the provision of documents proving the collection of fees on the ground,' noting that the main problem facing citizens at present is related to the non-implementation of the law on the ground.

He added that 'with the failure to implement parking fees in popular areas, for example, there are multiple problems related to the absence of mechanisms for regulating street parking for vehicles, and the lack of specific prices known in advance for each duration leads to frequent quarrels.'

Parking fees vary from place to place (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Egyptian Ministry of Interior occasionally publishes incidents of arresting impersonators of 'car attendants' along with the circulation of videos on social media platforms highlighting altercations between them and drivers, including an incident of arresting a suspect in Giza Governorate who insulted and threatened a driver, demanding an illegal payment, an incident for which an official statement was issued after the suspect was arrested and detained.

Former Governor of Alexandria and Qalyubia and local administration expert Reda Farhat considered that the law needs to be reviewed to address the obstacles that have emerged in implementation, telling Asharq Al-Awsat that 'in addition, there is a fundamental problem related to the inability of administrative authorities to impose their control and activate the law, with the continued attempts of some to circumvent the law to avoid paying fees to the state.'

Car parking fees vary from area to another, especially in the Egyptian capital, with no specific prices except in garages affiliated with entities that have legal frameworks such as major hotels, where parking prices also vary according to each location, while there are no specific prices for parking in private garages run by individuals.

Here, the MP points out that there is no objection to setting parking prices in some places according to considerations such as being tourist facilities, but on the other hand, it requires setting clear parking prices in all areas commensurate with average wages, noting that the greatest role in this matter falls on local administrations.

This is an opinion supported by Farhat, who points to 'the necessity of employing technology in car parking by launching applications that show designated parking spaces, while benefiting from some sites to implement unconventional solutions for car parking to accommodate the largest number of vehicles, especially in the most crowded places.'