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The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai has closed 40 private parking yards following an inspection campaign where offending parking operators were found to breach the prescribed stipulations in place or have failed to obtain the applicable licensing permits. Image Credit: RTA

Dubai

Traffic authorities have closed down 40 private car parks following an inspection campaign, said the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in Dubai on Tuesday.

Inspectors discovered commercial parking operators were found to breach regulations or had not secured proper permits. The campaign was done in coordination with Dubai Police.

Maitha Bin Adai, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency, said in a statement: “This inspection campaign was launched to enforce the compliance with the new stipulations set for private parking yards after exhausting the grace period granted to operators to reorganise their business with the approved standards. Warnings were served, and violations were issued in coordination with Dubai Police for towing the remaining vehicles in those yards.”

In addition, 165 violations have been issued to violators to improve the quality of services on offer to parking users and curbing offences made by operators of these parking yards.

“The revised and prescribed conditions call for providing electronic monitors at the entry of private parking yards for displaying the number of occupied and vacant parking slots. Details of the operator, parking instructions, parking fares and contact numbers have also to be displayed as well. These details have to be linked with RTA’s systems to ensure the optimal streamlining of the activity. The information gathered from these parking yards would be used in statistical studies or can be shared with the media, upon request, for enhanced transparency,” added Bin Adai.

“Sufficient lighting has to be provided in these parking yards to bring them in line with the approved standards and to ensure a clear night vision. The parking area has to be marked and numbered, and the entry/exit points have to be designed as per the applicable standards. The parking yards have to be supported by surveillance cameras linked to a recording TV system with the concerned parties.

“The purpose of the campaign is to have all operators of private parking yards adhere to the approved designs for these yards. Parking attendants have to wear an official uniform bearing the name of the operator. Detailed stipulations for this activity are obtainable from Customers’ Happiness Centers as well as the RTA website,” she said.