Abu Dhabi reveals cost of parking - The National

The Department of Transport unveiled its long-awaited parking fees yesterday, announcing that from October it would charge Dh3 an hour on main streets and Dh2 elsewhere.

The parking meters will be in operation from 8am to 9pm except on Fridays and public holidays.

Multistorey car parks will cost Dh2 per hour. Annual permits for unlimited parking in residential areas will cost Dh800 for a first car and Dh1,200 for a second.

The metered parking, which will start in three areas in the heart of the central business district, is the first element of the department’s grand plan to remedy the capital’s parking woes, first announced by Abu Dhabi Municipality more than two years ago.

“This is just the first step but we believe these measures will result in visible improvements by year end, with less congestion, fewer illegally parked vehicles and a better understanding among car owners of the need to park correctly,” said Najib al Zarooni, director of parking for the department, at a press conference yesterday.

Other elements of the plan include increasing the number of parking spaces and introducing park-and-ride options in some areas to encourage motorists to take buses from designated car parks.
Mr al Zarooni added that free-parking permits would be available for people with special needs.
It remained unclear what the penalties would be for parking beyond the paid time, or in prohibited areas.

The current fine for “abuse of a parking space” is Dh200 (US$55) and three black points, while parking in places designated for emergency vehicles and people with special needs is Dh1,000 and four black points.

Police handed out 39,215 fines for illegal parking in the first six months of this year.

Last year, the British company NSL Services announced that it had won a contract to manage the parking programme. It said that after a transition period, during which warnings would be handed out instead of fines, a clamping and removal service would be introduced for repeat offenders.