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Get an app to find parking in Dubai

In a pilot test, RTA will install parking sensors on Shaikh Zayed Road, over a section stretching from Crown Plaza Hotel to Shangri La Hotel.

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Finding a parking space will no longer be a tough task in Dubai. Senior officials at Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) are testing a new system to help motorists find parking faster.

· Automatically identify area code and display a map of Dubai with location of parking lots · Pay parking fees using credit cards · Identify vacant parking lots · Easily accessible record of previously used e-tickets · Fine payment service from November 2015

In a pilot test, RTA will install parking sensors on Shaikh Zayed Road, over a section stretching from Crown Plaza Hotel to Shangri La Hotel. Motorists will get instant data on the number of parking spaces available in the area through a mobile app.

“These sensors will be installed in more than 230 parking spaces and a mobile app will help users find out which parking spaces are available. People will be able to find out before leaving their homes whether a certain area has parking spaces or it is full,” said Ahmad Hashem Behroozian, CEO of RTA’s Licensing Agency.

Parking zones in Dubai have unique numbers. Once a user enters the unique parking zone number, the app will display total parking spaces allotted by RTA and how many of them are vacant at the time. The app refreshes parking data every two minutes.

“If the pilot phase is successful, we will include more zones across Dubai. At this point, we will not show individual parking spaces and we will give overall information about the parking lot,” he explained.

RTA is also hoping to extend the service to multi-story parking lots like the ones in Al Ghubaiba and Naif Parking – which are known to be extremely busy during business hours.

“We have five multi-story parking lots under RTA and this project will be extended to these areas once the pilot phase is completed. Shopping malls in Dubai which already have parking sensors may soon be a part of the initiative also. If the malls can share their parking data with RTA, we will be able to include their parking lots in the parking app which will be helpful,” added Behroozian.

Once launched, the Smart Parking App will be compatible for android and iOS devices. -muaz@khaleejtimes.com