Special parking area in Abu Dhabi for cars that break down

Abu Dhabi - Parking fees will be charged at Dh10 per vehicle for a day; Dh125 per vehicle for 15 days; and Dh225 per vehicle for a month.

Abu Dhabi motorists have welcomed the opening of a parking lot for broken-down cars. They said it would keep their cars safe as they arrange for repair work.
The Abu Dhabi Municipality announced early this week that it has opened a designated paid-parking yard in Musaffah industrial area, specifically for light vehicles in need of repair or maintenance.
The parking lot, located within the industrial sector M18, can accommodate broken-down vehicles for any period of time. There has been no such facility in the industrial area in the past.
The municipality said it allocated the parking lot so as to prevent people from randomly parking their damaged cars on the streets and other areas.
Parking fees will be charged at Dh10 per vehicle for a day; Dh125 per vehicle for 15 days; and Dh225 per vehicle for a month.
"We used to park our cars anywhere we can, as some garages and workshops are too small to house them," said Pakistani motorist Mukhtar Mohammed.
Egyptian expat Ali Khalid, a resident of Khalidiya, agreed that it had become difficult to find a spot where one can keep a damaged car for weeks as the person does the necessary arrangements for repair.
"This is a good initiative. You'll feel safe to leave your car in such a designated lot until you decide to bring it to a repair shop," said Khalid.
Muhdeen Mohsin, a Bangladeshi mechanic, said: "In the past, with no place to keep their broken-down car, people end up leaving them on the streets and empty spaces. And if the car is left there for a long time, it gets towed away."
The Abu Dhabi Municipality has, on many occasions, impounded hundreds of cars that had been left abandoned at undesignated places for many weeks. And the Musaffah Municipal Centre carries out regular campaigns to clear streets and public areas of dirty cars.
The municipality urged motorists to keep their vehicles clean to avoid the fine of Dh3,000, as stipulated by Law No. 2 of 2012.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi