abu dhabi Long queues at car wash centres are driving Abu Dhabi motorists up the wall.
Residents said they have to often spend up to an hour waiting for their turns as the car wash centres remain busy for most part of the day.
“I have not washed my car for over two weeks now. Every time I visit a car wash facility, there are invariably ten cars ahead of me,” said Oneil D’souza, an Abu Dhabi resident.
Muneer Ahmed, another resident, said the problem has got worse in recent months. “With so much dust around, my car gets dirty every few days. I don’t mind getting it washed, but I can’t afford to spare two hours for it.”
Hiring casual labourers and watchmen to wash cars is against the law as it reflects badly on the image of the city and poses a hazard to the environment.
Last year alone, the Abu Dhabi Municipality handed out Dh200 fine to some 1,600 motorists for washing their car in public.
Deterrent
Despite the deterrent, many are still willing to take the risk.
“I don’t have the time to wait endlessly at car wash centres I would rather pay my watchman to do the job,” argues Abu Dhabi resident R. George, who pays him Dh150 monthly to wash his car on alternate days. George has been penalised Dh200 once. For repeat offenders, the fine is Dh500, but he remains unfazed. “I know it’s illegal. But I have no option as there just aren’t enough car wash facilities in town,” he said.
A supervisor at a car wash centre admitted facing overwhelming rush. “We get around 180 cars daily. On weekends, the numbers swell past 200,” he said.
“A lot of customers complain about the delays, but we can’t help it as there is only so much that we can do,” he added.
The lack of car wash facilities have resulted in a windfall for watchmen and casual labourers with many making up to Dh2,000 per month from washing cars.
Authorised and eco-friendly mobile car wash services in shopping mall parking lots charge between Dh25 and Dh30. Residents said it was expensive as it didn’t involve cleaning the interiors. “I would rather pay Dh200 to my watchman to do the job for the entire month,” said a working woman.
YOUSPEAK: Where do you get your car washed and how much do you pay for it?
