RTA plans to build 50 parking facilities

Dubai: The Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has plans to build at least 50 multi-storey parking plazas in Dubai to cope with the increasing parking problems, said a senior official.

"We have identified at least 50 plots of land to build parking plazas in different parts of Dubai to meet the increasing parking needs in the city," said Engineer Adel Al Marzouqi, Director of the Parking Departments at the RTA.

He told that at least nine of the 50 parking plazas will soon be constructed in the Central Business Districts of Deira and Bur Dubai while the rest would be built gradually in future.

"The RTA is planning to build these parking plazas in cooperation with the private sector in line with its policy of Public-Private Partnership (PPP)," he added.

Currently, there are only six multi-storey parking plazas controlled by the RTA. These are located at Riqqat Al Butine (behind Al Khaleej Hotel), Bani Yas area (near Deira Tower), Bani Yas Square, Bani Yas Street (near Dubai Municipality Museum), Naif Street (opposite Naif Police Station), and Al Ghubaiba (near Ministry of Finance building).

Meanwhile, motorists complain that they are unable to park their cars in the existing RTA's multi-storey car parking complexes in Dubai because they are mostly reserved.

They told that shopkeepers, companies or businessmen in the area get the parking spaces reserved on a yearly basis in these multi-storey parking plazas in the Central Business Districts (CBD) areas in Deira and Bur Dubai..

"They keep their ‘reserved parking' signs blocking the spaces even when the spaces are empty and the parking attendants do not let other motorists park their cars in these spaces," said Akmal Majee, a Pakistani businessman.

During a visit to least two multi-storey parking facilities in Deira and Bur Dubai, it was found out that more than 60 per cent of the spaces were reserved whereas visitors to these congested areas are left with very few spaces in which to park.

"We keep going in circles up and down the parking building and don't find a parking space even on the top floor because most of the spaces are reserved," said Parsad K, an Indian salesman.

Rate increase

The increased parking fee from Dh1 to Dh2 for the first hour will not have any impact on motorists who are using seasonal parking cards, said a senior official.

Engineer Adel Al Marzouki, Director of the Parking Department at the RTA said that the parking fee has been changed only for the first hour whereas the fee remains the same for the second, third and the fourth hour. Parking for two hours cost Dh5 where fee for three hours is Dh8 and Dh 11 for four hours in all the paid parking zones controlled by the RTA