Dh4 parking fee from today in Dubai

Here's a reminder: The new parking fee of Dh4 per hour in the commercial areas of Dubai, covering 30,000 slots, has come into effect today. Don't forget that the free parking period at noon has been abolished under the new policy and the new timings will be from 8am until 10pm during weekdays except Friday and public holidays.
The parking fee in multi-level parking terminals has also been upped from Dh3 to Dh5 per hour to increase the rotation of using the parking slots in these buildings. However, the fee hike does not affect 77 per cent of the total number of paid parking slots in Dubai amounting to about 130,000 car parks.
According to the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), the decision to revise the parking fee structure in Dubai was prompted by the need to find solutions for the problem of the decreasing number of vacant parking slots in congested areas of the city.
"It also stems from the need to encourage the people to use more of mass transit means and abandon the heavy reliance on private vehicles," said Maitha bint Udai, CEO of RTA's Traffic & Roads Agency.
"A full system involving free packages and services has been developed for citizens and residents spanning a wide spectrum of the community such as the disabled, seniors, and government entities among others," she added.
"Eleven types of parking permits will therefore be available to a variety of community segments to serve their legitimate needs, supported by documentary evidences, to avail such permits. These 11 categories include permanently disabled, temporary disabled, disabled tourists and visitors of the Emirate, patients with chronic illnesses regularly visiting hospitals, seniors over 60, citizens residing in controlled public parking zones, in addition to GCC citizens residing in controlled public parking zones, government entities, consulates operating in the Emirate, and residents in residential communities where parking is prohibited at night for non-residents, in addition to permits at discounted rates offered to university students," she explained.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com