Residents hassled as garages moved to Abu Dhabi outskirts

ABU DHABI The relocation of 1,970 car workshops out of the city centre to outlying industrial areas has caught car owners off guard.

Solutions to simple issues like dead batteries or minor car engine trouble that were within arm’s reach are now far away.

Abu Dhabi first announced the shift of vehicle service centres in 2010, saying the move was intended to improve the city’s aesthetics and separate residential areas from industrial areas.

The move affects garages and other workshop facilities, including building materials shops, carpentries, equipment maintenance outlets and glass and aluminium manufacturers.

Leonard, a Dubai-based Filipino who works in Abu Dhabi, said: “The key is to call the right number for problems on the road. In my experience, 999 is quite helpful, they refer you to a roadside assistance service, which responds fairly quickly.”

The shift has brought a windfall for mobile roadside assistance services such as Dial-A-Battery, which saw a 200 per cent spike in calls in recent months.

roadside assistance

“My car battery died,” said James, a Briton based in Abu Dhabi. “But it’s good that help from them [Dial-A-Battery] was quick. They were quite efficient, upfront and polite. They’ve done a good job. No dramas.”

Bernie, an Irishman who lives in the city, faced the same dilemma when his car developed engine trouble. “I used to take my car to a neighbourhood workshop for any trouble … the shift means I have to plan preventive maintenance better.”

There has been a huge increase in calls for assistance involving dead batteries.

“We receive four times the calls compared to the close of 2012,” said Asad Badami, managing director of A-MAP, an after-market parts organisation.

There used to be nearly 2,000 such workshops in Abu Dhabi which have either moved or are in the process of moving out of the centre.