Parking woes: Fight for space and time

 Dubai: Motorists say it's next to impossible to find parking outside Dubai's most visited government departments.

They said parking outside Dubai Municipality, the Land Department, Dubai Courts and Dubai Immigration can take longer than some formalities inside.

It can take up to 30 minutes to find an open spot at such locations - too long for residents with tight daily schedules.

Parking spaces have fallen grossly behind demand, with over a million vehicles on Dubai roads.

But public parking lots bordering most official buildings cannot expand as they are squeezed between main roads or towers next door.

A regular visitor to Dubai Courts, Norah Nofal, said she now gives herself a 30-minute window before hearings. "The judge used to blame me for being late. Even though I usually arrived early, I had to waste time driving around looking for parking," Nofal said.

Frustrated, she ended up parking at the nearby Dubai Creek Park and walking to court.

Also competing for a free spot there — on Tuesday — was Russian resident Natasha K., who lost a parking opportunity to another driver. "Parking lots are always overcrowded at ministries or other government institutions," Natasha complained.

Wilson, who parks at the Land Department every day, said: "I need at least 15 minutes to find parking but my errand — I just have to pick up some documents — only takes five minutes."

A "regular client" of Dubai Municipality said parking there takes an average of 20 minutes during the morning rush hour.