DUBAI RTA’s seasonal parking cards for six and 12 months have gone off the shelves in Dubai. Only cards valid for three months are currently available.
Car owners reckon the long-term cards have been disbanded as revised parking rates are expected to come into effect around June.
Earlier this month the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that parking fees in Dubai’s commercial areas, covering 30,000 slots, would double to Dh4 per hour.
An RTA call centre agent confirmed that seasonal parking cards valid for six and 12 months have been discontinued for now.
The move has not gone down well with many motorists.
Indian Mike Gonsalves, 49, said he got a rude shock this week when he got told by a Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) agent over the phone that parking cards valid for six and twelve months were no longer available. “It was totally unexpected. Later I checked at RTA kiosks at two separate malls but I found the same thing. Only cards valid for three months are currently being sold,” said the Karama resident who has been using a pre-paid parking card for section B that covers his neighbourhood areas for two years.
Until now vehicles with section A pre-paid parking cards could park in any car park for Dh2,500 annually (Dh1,300 for six months and Dh700 for three months) while B parking card holders could park in only B-marked areas for Dh1,500 (Dh800 for six months and Dh450 for three months).
However an RTA agent confirmed to XPRESS as well that only cards valid for three months were being sold as of now.
