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Residents fear rise in Dubai’s paid parking fees

Many of the traders and residents Khaleej Times spoke with on the issue opined that if the civic body's idea of parking control involved increasing hourly parking fee and a possible withdrawal of the two-hour parking scheme (Dh5), it will have negligible impact on the parking problems in Dubai, especially in the Central Business Districts (CBDs) of Bur Dubai and Deira.

A number of respondents pointed out that at Dh2 per hour (in the CBDs), the parking fee was already high, and a further hike will only contribute to the financial problems of residents without easing the pressure on the limited parking slots in the areas. Mostly, respondents said they are not in favour of a hike in the charges, but some traders said it would be a welcome move if limited to certain hours of the day.

Santosh H. Ashpal, Managing Director, Vogue Jewellers: I don't think the parking fee should be hiked, it won't achieve the objective. I would suggest the municipality develop a system similar to one followed in some parts of the US, where residents and businesses in an area are given priority passes for parking slots at a fee. Also, in the CBDs, shops and offices that don't have private parking spaces should be offered a chance to reserve parking slots according to their size, in terms of space and volume of customers or clients visiting them each day. It will increase the municipality's revenues while also making things easier for traders, residents and visitors.

I disagree with the concept that higher charges will compel motorists to limit the frequency of their visits to an area to only the most important work and for shorter periods. The parking slots near Dnata office are a dirham an hour but one still finds space to park any time of the day. The municipality could also install bunk-bed like structures which allow the utilisation of one slot for parking two or more cars for a slightly higher fee; such a system would be a great success at places like the Gold Souk where finding a parking slot is a big hassle.

Naresh Makhija, Managing Director, Mikado Jewellers: I don't think a hike in the hourly charges, if there is to be one, will help the traders. The premise that it will help more people to use the slots and benefit traders is mistaken. The civic body should consider it's current system and fine-tune it with the problems at hand in this regard.

For instance, the paid parking slots in the city are free of charge for parking after 9pm. I believe it needs to be reconsidered, because 9pm is still peak hour for businesses (shops) in the CBD and the flow of customers increases. It would be a good thing if the timing is changed and parking is made free at 10pm or later, as this would allow customers to still find parking slots. Currently residents of the areas in the CBDs drive in at 8pm, pay Dh2 and the slot is occupied for that little amount till early morning.

Zainulabedeen Sajid, Business Development Manager, ABN Amro Bank: With my office in Bur Dubai and residence in Deira, I have learned to live with the parking problems in the city. Many a time I spend as much as 30 to 45 minutes looking for a parking space in the mornings, and often end up parking far away from the office. I don't know how a hike in parking fee will alleviate this problem. It would be better if the civic body sets up more multi-storeyed parking lots — its own or through private investment. The parking problems are widespread and the situation is definitely not good for the business and trade in Dubai.

Pramod Kumar Gupta, Director, Hunters Adventures: If there is a hike in parking fee, it will not affect major businesses, but small traders and firms will feel the pinch. And considering the ever-increasing cost of living in the emirate, this small hike means more burden for the individual's economy. The parking woes in Dubai are directly connected with the number of vehicles on the road, and these keep on increasing on a daily basis. As a solution, it would be better to go to the root of the problem, and in effect suspend the issuance of new driving licences to all but a few category of applicants. My residence was in Dubai earlier but problems such as rising rents parking difficulty compelled me to shift to Sharjah.

My business, however, is still based in Dubai and I would be highly concerned if there was a further increase in the parking fee. Already there has been a major change in the way parking wardens handle violations. Earlier a warden would give a 10-minute leeway for a motorist for a car parked without ticket; I don't think that's the case any more. The other day I unsuccessfully tried to request a warden to reconsider his decision to issue a parking fine to someone who used a slot without paying the parking fee five minutes before the free parking time (at 8.55pm).

Elena G., Executive Secretary: Finding a space to park my car has become so much of a problem that I am seriously considering giving up my car and using cabs. I don't think a hike in parking fee will help, nor will a decision to withdraw the two-hour parking ticket system create more space for parking.

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