UAE | Traffic and Transport

Parking nightmare pushes Dubai motorists to break the law

Motorists trying to park along Shaikh Zayed Road service roads are becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of available parking.

  • By Alice Johnson, Staff Reporter
  • Published: 23:58 August 15, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • These empty parking spaces have been cordoned off for the exclusive use of a contracting firm.
  • Image Credit: Alice Johnson/Gulf News
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Dubai: Motorists trying to park along Shaikh Zayed Road service roads are becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of available parking.

The situation is being made worse by some 30 spaces that have been cordoned off by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) for the exclusive use of a contractor, near the Fairmont Hotel.

The RTA was not available for comment. These previous public parking spaces have remained largely empty, with just a couple of vehicles actually utilising the excess area.

A permit for the reservation of 20 spaces has been issued to one contracting company, at a cost of Dh10,210. They have been rented from July 25 to August 23, according to a publicly displayed RTA sign.

Due to the lack of parking spaces available, cars have been double parking on both sides of the slip road.

Motorists now have to manoeuvre past parked cars on both sides and illegally-parked cars (beside the parking spaces) on both sides. This significantly slows down traffic.

The public car park at the back of the Crowne Plaza complex is also packed to the brim, aside from the paid valet parking area.

This area sets back motorists Dh25 an hour, or Dh25 for three hours (plus Dh25 for every hour after this) with a stamped voucher from one of the listed restaurants.

IT officer Shabeer, 25, Indian, who works in the area, said he finds parking a big problem.

"Every morning I look for parking for 25 minutes. I work here so it's worse because I have to do this every day. It's definitely worse to try and find a space after 9am. Our office is moving to Jumeirah and it has paid parking. Once it was free, but now it's paid parking everywhere. Earlier, I used the valet parking and it was Dh20 for the whole day, but in July the price went up," he said.

Suneeta Kamal, property consultant, 48, Indian, also works in the area.

She said that even if you buy a long-term parking card, spaces are scarce.

"I've been looking for a space for 30 minutes now. I have a parking card 'B', but I can't park on the main street. I pay Dh1,500 a year for this card, but it's useless, it doesn't help me. I pay Dh2,500 a year for a parking space at home as well, but despite this there's nowhere to park.

"Every day I come here and wait half an hour for a space. Now I don't know what to do. I haven't used the bathroom since morning and have not had lunch. Sometimes I reach the office at 10.30am, sometimes at 12pm," she said.

Kamal was shocked to hear of the rented spaces, 200m from the parking chaos.

"I think it's rude. People are struggling to go to work and to go to the toilet. I've seen people fighting in this car park, and it's not because of the heat, because it was happening in December. If you try and park at 8.45am maybe you will find a space, but after 9am you can't move an inch," she said.

Ali, 33, Emirati, was caught by Gulf News double-parked on the Shaikh Zayed Road. The engine was left running and the hazards switched on. He said he had looked for parking space for more than half an hour, without any luck.

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