Dh1,000 fine for abusing parking spaces of special needs people: RAK

Ras Al Khaimah - A fine of Dh1,000 in addition to four black points shall be slapped against any driver who parks his or her car in the parking spaces of special needs motorists.

The Ras Al Khaimah police have warned a hefty fine of Dh1,000 along with four black points for abusing the parking spaces of special needs people. 
Brigadier Dr Mohammed Saeed Al Humaidi, Director General of the Central Operations Room, RAK police said the UAE law has strictly protected the rights of this vulnerable segment of the society. 

"As per article 23 of the federal traffic law, a fine of Dh1,000 in addition to four black points shall be slapped against any driver who parks his or her car in the parking spaces of special needs motorists." 
This particular article is meant to prevent any abuse of this special advantage given to special needs people, he added. "All the special needs parking facilities are up to the latest international standards." 
These parking facilities represent only two per cent of the total public parking spaces, he pointed out. "They have been designed to be closer to the entries and exits for their convenience." 
Warning, Brig Al Humaidi said more traffic patrols shall be deployed to watch over these special parking spaces and clump down any abuse. "Immediate fines shall be slapped against abusers."   
The RAK police, in collaboration with the RAK rehabilitation centre for disabled, have launched an extensive campaign to develop awareness about this important segment of the society. 
"As many as 50,000 brochures will be distributed to the public on the internal roads and highways, malls, shopping centres, government and private entities, and police stations in the emirate during the three-month drive which is themed: 'Spare their spaces'." 
Ahmed Badawy, an Egyptian special needs youth, told Khaleej Times that he sometimes had a problem finding a parking space for his car due to some kind of direct or indirect abuse of these allocated facilities. 
"Some drivers do not give a head to our rights, and recklessly park their cars in our few parking spaces that we have to first suffer finding an available parking space, and then move back a long tiring way to the targeted entry." 
Wishing this campaign to be a success, Omar Khalid, a Syrian special needs man, said he hoped that the driver would be more considerate to spare their parking spaces. "The bodies concerned are urged to provide more spaces for us, though."
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Ras Al Khaimah