Street parking is necessary for residents in Abu Dhabi who depend on their cars to get to work and keep contact with family and friends.
The demand for parking in the capital is going to become more urgent as the number of people owning cars and holding driving licences is set to increase every year.
A compromise must be reached between keeping the streets clear for emergency and service vehicles and providing adequate parking space for residents and visitors to the city. While charging can reduce congestion in the streets by encouraging people to park in the correct facilities and use their cars less, enforcing a paid-parking system around-the-clock is not reasonable, especially for residents who might only be able to park outside overnight if their homes do not have parking.
After hours, those who park and obstruct the streets should be fined; but residents should be allowed to park free of charge.
