Residents share paid parking woes in this emirate

Some motorists leave their cars double-parked on the road, creating traffic blocks.

Parking shortage in the Capital is driving people insane. Residents rue the long hours lost hunting for empty slots to park their vehicles. Even when they get one, it burns a hole in their pockets. After reaching their wits end, many families have realised there is only one remedy to end the parking woes - move to the suburbs or sell their cars.

Some are starting to rely on public transport system, while a few have found some cheeky solutions too.
For Joy John and family, failing to find parking spaces in the city meant relocating to Bani Yas.
"I am living in the Capital for 13 years, and like every other expat, I am here to make a saving. But unless you put a cap on your rents and parking fee, it is almost impossible to save. I moved to Bani Yas from the city a few years ago to cut down on expenses," said John, who is a hospitality professional.
He said though life was manageable as a bachelor, once he got married to Jomit and had a child, Joel, living expenses were going over the roof. And parking fee was an added burden.
Jomit luckily got a job at a clinic nearby but parking remained a big issue whenever they come to the city.
"But there is no escaping from the problem when you have an important errand in the city. Earlier, our weekend evening outings were in the city. But now, we have even stopped that as on Fridays and Saturdays, the city is a no-go zone. The family engagement in the city is only the Sunday church visit," John said.
Another Indian couple Arun Prasad and Geethu had the sheer luck of finding a place in the city itself, where parking is not that difficult.
 Prasad reluctantly names the place - Navy Gate area.
"I used to live in Zayed the First Street (Electra Street). The parking scene was terrible. After my unending hunt for parking and discussions with friends, I discovered this place," said Prasad, who works for a construction company. He said double-parking was the biggest menace in the city.
"Someone would leave their car double-parked and then a trail of cars will follow blocking all the vehicles in the lane," he said.
He said near the Navy Gate area, there is always plenty of parking spaces. "Moving here last year has made my life much easier. Parking worries on a daily basis does affect your health," said Prasad.
For Jishnu D, another Indian expat, car parking worries are like cancer. "When you are diagnosed with cancer, the best and effective treatment is surgery. I did the same thing. I sold my car and am now fully dependent on the Abu Dhabi public transport system," said Jishnu, a marketing executive.
"It costs only Dh2 to travel in a bus from one end of the city to another. Moreover, if you take a monthly pass of Dh80, you can have innumerable journeys. Such facility is a boon for people like me in the marketing job. Even if I have to catch a taxi, the fares start as low as Dh3.50. Compare this with the cost of monthly car parking and penalties through speed limit violation. I find travel by bus safest and cheapest," said Jishnu, who works at a private firm.
Another resident who was staying in Hamdan Street said he recently moved closer to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City only for the free parking in the hospital compound.
"It was only a few months back I came to know about this. Soon I was on a hunt for a room nearby the hospital. The Medical City has a huge parking lot and the place is a blessing for people like me," he said.
He said more than twice, he had ended up paying fines and once it was for exceeding permissible time. So using hospital parking is the only way to make a saving as rest of my monthly budget is spent on rent and food expenses."
Ziaudeen, who has been working in a private company for 17 years, said parking is and will always remain an issue.
"We spent months, sometimes years, to get a driving licence, and that too by shelling out thousands of dirhams. And once you get one, you will be over the moon but little do we realise the amount being spent on parking tickets and fines," said Ziaudeen.
"Everyone is suffering due to the parking crunch in the city. No one is exempted. Sometimes, you cannot even buy something from a cafeteria or a stationery shop in the city because you just cannot find a parking."
Ziaudeen said he hoped there would be an efficient and cost-effective solution to the parking problems sooner than later so that people can lead a quality life. 
'Finding parking in Khalidiya is a nightmare'
Circling their residential areas for as long as 30 minutes or even an hour to find a parking is the everyday reality of many Capital residents.
Sudanese expat Osama Abdelhafiz is a typical example. The accountant, who lives in the Khalidiya area, says where he lives is a parking hell.
"Half of my free time is spent combing the streets to find parking. I usually comeback from office at 3pm. There are banks near my building and the employees usually leave by 3.30pm. What I do is wait for 30 to 40 minutes for someone to take their car out before I can go home and have lunch," said Abdelhafiz.
"My wife keeps calling me three to four times to check whether I have found parking. Every time the answer is 'no.'"
Abdelhafiz said if he gets late from office, which is often the case, then parking is almost impossible. "I have had days when I had to circle the place for more than an hour and still found no parking."
His last resort is an open parking space, which is a 15-minutes walk from his home. "But then it is difficult in the mornings because I have to drop off the kids to school," said the father of three who has been living in the area since 2010.
The Sudanese family has stopped using their cars for all evening outings. "Your car is almost useless unless you can deflate it and take it with you," said Abdelhafiz.
"I either take a taxi or use public transport."
But he said the situation has improved after the Mawaqif system was introduced in 2009. "People used to double park and block cars when they don't find parking. I have seen many fights between residents over double parking. Now at least, people are afraid of getting fined and stick to rules."
ashwani@khaleejtimes.com   
 

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