Parking fee policy needs rethinking

The recent decision by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to increase parking fees across all parking areas in the emirate surely comes as a disappointment. Accordingly, parking fees will double from Dh1 to Dh2 by the end of this month, regardless of the area or the length of parking time.

The RTA says that this new rule is aimed at standardising all parking fees across the emirate.

Such an approach would not really be helpful given the make-up of the city and how it has developed over the years. There are purely residential and commercial areas as well as areas that have a combination of both. And there are areas that are located in or near main roads.

Hence, the decision to increase the parking fees seems to have ignored this critical aspect — placing a greater burden on motorists. This is one policy that needs reconsideration.