Parking in the UAE capital is free to ease the burden on the community during the current situation. It appears as though some are abusing the rules by parking illegally and the transport authorities are not impressed about it.
The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) at the Department of Municipalities and Transport in Abu Dhabi said vehicle owners misuse the parking service by casual practices. These include parking behind other vehicles, double parking, parking in handicapped spots and parking in front of fire hydrants.
“Such practices block the traffic movement, trigger accidents, put the life of people at risk and distort the urban appearance of the city,” said the ITC, stressing that motorists should ensure that priorities are respected and avoid undermining the rights of entitled users such as holders of residential parking permits.
The ITC extended free parking across the Emirate during Ramadan until further notice.
Abu Dhabi officials urged motors to avoid parking in prohibited areas, and to park in permitted areas properly and to not park illegally.
“Streamlining and managing parking spaces would have multiple benefits for traffic, community, economy and the environment such as ensuring the optimal use of the existing parking, reducing the time of searching for parking slots, eliminating casual parking practices, streamlining the traffic flow and improving the security and safety of roads,” the ITC said in a statement.
Despite parking being free, parking inspectors are still active in all parking and are monitoring parking areas.
Vehicles parked illegally will be towed after an SMS has been sent to the vehicle owner. Depending on the severity, fines range from AED 100 to AED 1,000.
If a violation notification is ignored, Mawafiq will remove the vehicle within 48 hours.
