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Residents move out of Dubai community over parking fees

Dubai - Those relocating are mostly families owning two cars and more.

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Long-time residents of Dubai's Al Khail Gate community are moving to other locations ahead of the paid parking system that comes into effect from June 17.
The residents of the locality said that the paid parking has added to their expenses which they are unable to afford. Those relocating are mostly families owning two cars and more.
"I was staying in Al Khail for six years with my family. We are leaving because of the parking issue," said Tanya.
She added that earlier the AC was free and now it is also paid.
"This is in addition to the rent and now to top it all the parking. It works out to be very expensive for us."
She added that with this amount they could move to other good locations with better facilities.
Audit Manager Salim Azam moved from the Al Khail Gate with his family as he owned two cars.
"We lived in a two-bedroom apartment and had two cars. The rent was already high and could not afford to pay for the parking. I could get permit for one car but had to pay 24/7 for another car. So we decided to move," he told Khaleej Times.
Sweatha Prince will be relocating with her family once their tenancy contract expires on July 23.
"We had been living here for five years in a two bedroom flat and have two cars. Since living here has become unaffordable because of parking, we will be leaving in the first week of July."
Mishal Abdul Rahim said he had to shift with his parents and wife from a two-bedroom apartment as they owned two cars.

A perennial problem

The residents of Al Khail Gate have been reeling under parking problems for long. Finding parking spaces after 8:00pm was a tough challenge for the residents.
Sometimes they would have to park their cars several blocks away from their home. Other times they ended up getting fined for wrong parking.
In response to the issue, Road and Transport Authority (RTA) took over the management and operations of the parking in April.
According to the RTA, the parking has been classified into different zones designated by clearly displayed signs as per the needs of the community. Some parking spaces will be allocated to residents only, and others will be available for visitors
"These parking lots will be subject to tariff 24/7 once taken over by the RTA in the second quarter of 2018. The fee will be Dh4 per hour and a maximum daily fee of Dh32 per 24 hours. Seasonal parking permits will be provided to residents at different rates, depending on the validity of the permit. Permits on offer include Dh2,500 per annum, Dh1,500 per six months, and Dh1,000 per three months. Permits will enable residents to use the entire parking zones, be it for residents or visitors," RTA added.

How much residents need to pay for parking

 Tariff
>Dh4 per hour
>Dh32 is maximum daily fee

Seasonal permits for residents

>Dh2,500 per annum
>Dh1,500 per six months
>Dh1,000 per three months
sana@khaleejtimes.com