UAE residents find fewer free parking spots as paid zones expand

Khaleej Times

21 hours ago

As paid parking expands in the UAE, free spaces are disappearing, reshaping daily routines. Once-sprawling sandy lots, locally known as 'kacha' parking, that served as free parking spaces have steadily vanished, making even short trips a calculated affair for many residents.
No more sandy parking lots
When Sajna K.A. moved into her apartment on Sheikh Zayed Road 14 years ago, a large sandy lot next door took the pressure off residents.
'When we first shifted, there was a huge sandy parking lot right next to our building,' she recalled. 'Everyone parked there for free. I could see the rows and rows of cars sandwiched next to each other. It was very convenient for everyone. However, a few years ago, the parking lot was shut. It remains vacant but closed off even now.'
She shelved plans to buy her own car as parking fees rose and formerly free kerbside slots tightened. 'Earlier, finding free parking was easy,' she said. 'Even if the sandy lot was full - which it rarely was - there were a lot of spaces around the kerbside too which was free from 9pm onwards. There were some other vacant lots too which people could park on. But in the last 14 years, I have watched each one of them shut down and parking prices rising with free parking only available after 10pm.'
What stung most, she said, was the loss of free parking near Gate 6 of Zabeel Park. 'It was a place where I used to park my car for two hours and run a 5km around the park,' she said. 'However, that free parking has now been privatised and it costs Dh10. That was a loss of free parking that was very disappointing.'
Selling the spare car
In Qusais, Mohammed Ashraf felt the impact when meters arrived outside his building.
'For years, we were lucky not to have paid parking inside the colony premises,' he said. 'Even right outside the colony was paid but we were lucky. It was very difficult to find spots but we managed to get by. Earlier this year, they introduced paid parking here and that was a big blow to us.'
Ashraf, who lives with his daughter and son-in-law, said the family sold one car. 'Earlier, I used to leave my car at home and used to take the metro so it was like a spare car,' he said. 'My wife and daughter would use that vehicle for chores and dropping my grandchildren off. My son-in-law used his car to commute to work. Now, we sold my car and my son-in-law drops the kids to school. Having one car at a paid parking spot for the entire day is too expensive for us to manage.'
Even short errands now come with conditions, he added. 'At the hypermarket opposite to our house, earlier it was free parking for customers,' he said. 'Now, they have introduced Parktronic system which gives two hours free and then charges for the remaining hours. There are no more free parking areas anywhere in the vicinity, unlike 20 years ago when I first moved into the area.'
Easier to find parking?
For over eight years, Neimat Ilyas has frequented Abu Dhabi's Umm Al Emarat Park. With free parking, she could linger for hours while her children played. Now, she plans her trips because parking is paid. However, to her surprise, she's largely fine with this new system.
'Earlier, we could spend a lot of time in the park, but we also had to spend a lot of time looking for parking,' she said. 'Sometimes, there would be long queues as people just waited in the parking lot looking for a spot. However, now it is relatively easier to find parking and there is less traffic in the area. So in the grand scheme of things, I am happier.'
Despite this, she still struggles to find parking in her busy neighbourhood. 'I don't step out after 4pm even though we have paid Mawaqif parking near our area,' said Neimat, who lives near Airport Road. 'If I do, then it would be impossible to find parking when I come back. Whatever chores I need to get done, I do it during the day.'
Remaining lucky ones
Not everyone feels squeezed. In Musaffah, Abu Dhabi resident Mehnaz Hyder says parking remains manageable around her community.
'We know that we are some of the last few lucky ones in the country with access to free parking,' she said. 'We have one allotted free parking for the residents inside the community. Those with more than one cars park right outside the apartment complex where also there is free parking. So luckily for us, parking is not much of an issue.'