Abu Dhabi's paid parking suffers teething problems

Abu Dhabi: As the much delayed paid parking system was rolled out in the capital earlier this month, the system's teething problems have left many residents in the lurch.

"The very first day that I affixed the residents parking permit on my vehicle I got fined Dh200 for a parking violation," said a resident along Hamdan Street, who requested not to be named.

"I was shocked to learn that I have been fined because my vehicle was clearly in a designated parking spot with the permit displayed properly," added the resident, who works at a nearby bank.

"I have lived in this area for 12 years now. For sheer lack of legal parking lots I have parked at the now illegal spots numerous times, but never got one single ticket", he said.

After talking to a parking inspector he spotted across the street, he learnt that resident permits only allow vehicles to park at standard parking spaces which have turquoise and black curbstones. He had used a premium spot (turquoise and white curbstones).

"I was told that this specification about only using standard areas was mentioned in the acknowledgement that I signed while collecting my permit. I might have overlooked the details in the acknowledgement, but no one bothered to explain to me either."

"MAWAQIF (the parking management programme) advertises that parking permits will allow residents to park in their sector without any more fees but in actuality this is not true. Since I live in a densely populated area, those who hold permits and others are struggling to find standard spots," he added.

With the introduction of paid parking, the once overcrowded parking spaces look deserted now. The standard parking areas are more busy comparatively. With strict ticketing, during paid parking hours, hardly anyone resorts to double parking.

Nightmare

However, the parking nightmare does not seem to have come to an end for the city's residents, but merely shifted from one area to another.

Ishrat Khan, a resident near Al Ghaith Tower who works in the aviation service industry, said: "Before implementing the new system, authorities should first have made sure that their transport network was strong and that there was adequate parking facilities."

Expressing his dismay at the customer services of MAWAQIF, Khan said: "Being a government entity the overall communication flow to customers has been very poor and highly dissatisfactory. The toll free number says that permits could be paid for by cash or credit cards, but when I reached the centre I was told that I cannot pay by debit or credit card as there is some problem with the system. I had no choice but to come down next day and make a cash payment."

He added that the information he got from the toll free number was different from what he was told at the centre.

The Department of Transport officials were not available for comment.

Fact file

For info on paid parking call MAWAQIF at 8003009

Fines

1. Parked with an invalid resident permit or Pay and Display (P & D) ticket: Dh200

2. Parked without P & D ticket/permit: Dh200

3. Obscured resident permit or P & D ticket: Dh200

4. Parked with expired P & D ticket: Dh100

5. Over staying the maximum permitted time: Dh100

6. Not parked correctly within the marking of the bay or space: Dh200

7. Parked on a restricted bus stop/stand: Dh200

8. Parked on a drop club or narrow driveway : Dh200

9. Parked with one or more wheels on any part of an urban road: Dh200

10. Parked on loading/unloading: Dh200

11. Parked on restricted space or box junction: Dh200

12. Parked in unauthorized places: Dh200

13. Parked in designated waste container bay: Dh200

14. Parked in sand areas/ using the foot path: Dh200

15. Vehicles parked without license plates in controlled parking areas: Dh1000

16. Parked on pedestrian crossing: Dh500

17. Parked behind vehicles (Double parking): Dh300

18. Parked in a designated special needs parking without permit: Dh1000

19. Parked on a fire hydrant bay: Dh1000

20. Parked on designated ambulance bay: Dh1000

21. Parked on designated VIP bay: Dh1000

22. Parked on designated bank bay: Dh1000

23. Parked on designated government, diplomatic, consulate and local authorities bays: Dh1000

24. Parked on designated bays outside hotels: Dh1000

25. Parked on designated trading companies bay: Dh1000

26. Parked on designated Mosque Imam bay: Dh1000