UAE traffic: Free 'park and ride' service for Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque visitors in last 10 days of Ramadan

The park-and-ride service that enables commuters to park their vehicles in designated parking areas and take a public bus free of charge are among the facilities announced for visitors to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque during these last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan.

The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) of the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi said the move is in line with the spiritual values of the holy month.

Three buses have been deployed from Ramadan 19-25, and the number will be increased to 10 buses during Ramadan 26-28.

The bus shuttle service is operational before Isha and Taraweeh prayers until one hour after the end of the Night Prayer. Riders' pick-up/drop-off points are available at parking lots of Wahat Al Karama (main parking), and the Zayed Sports City parking lot to facilitate the smooth accessibility of Sheikh Zayed Mosque to visitors.

Traffic management

The ITC has also taken several steps to facilitate the management of the traffic movement in the area, which includes monitoring signalised intersections and roads surrounding Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque by surveillance cameras to monitor and respond to traffic congestion, providing portable messaging signs, activating variable messaging signs to broadcast awareness messages besides deploying field inspectors at traffic signals around the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque to streamline the traffic flow.

Additionally, it provided roadside support services for towing broken down vehicles and intensified road service patrols, especially on the main corridors and surrounding areas during Iftar and Taraweeh and Qiyam prayers in the last ten days of the holy month.

Parking management

The ITC has deployed 22 inspectors and supervisors at the northern and southern gates. It will deploy 32 inspectors and supervisors during the last ten days of the holy month from 9pm until 2am to ensure the optimal use of parking spaces and ensure the smooth traffic flow.

The ITC also announced the deployment of inspectors at the parking lots and nearby tents to direct visitors to the Iftar tents at the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. After the Iftar and Maghrib prayer, the inspectors are redeployed at the internal parking lots of the mosque to receive and direct visitors coming to perform the Taraweeh prayers.

Taxis

The ITC announced the deployment of 100 taxis daily at the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque during the holy month of Ramadan. The number of taxis has been increased during the last ten days of the month. Site inspectors are deployed in coordination with taxi operators to ensure that the service is run appropriately. Parking No. (1) has been set for pick up/drop off riders, and Parking No. (2) will be used during the last ten days of Ramadan.

Importance of the last 10 days of Ramadan

The last 10 days of the holy month of Ramadan have a special significance as it is most likely on one these days that the Lailatul Qadr, Night of Power, descends upon Muslims — promising bountiful rewards to those who spend time in ibadah (worship).

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was reported as saying that the Qadr night is a night when the Quran was revealed.

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It is a night when every matter of ordainment is decreed — a peaceful night until the advent of dawn.

According to Islamic scholars, that night is described in the Quran as better than a thousand months. Any action done on this night, such as reciting the Quran, remembering Allah, and so forth is better than worship of one thousand months, which does not contain the Qadr night.

• Abu Dhabi