Latest news with #freeParking
Khaleej Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Khaleej Times
UAE residents find fewer free parking spots as paid zones expand
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.'
UAE Moments
25-06-2025
- UAE Moments
Free Parking Announced in Dubai for Hijri New Year
In celebration of the Hijri New Year, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced free public parking across the city on Friday, June 27. The free parking applies to all public parking zones except multi-level parking terminals. Regular parking fees will resume on Saturday, June 28. If you're planning to head out over the long weekend, here's what you need to know. Public Transport Operating Hours Dubai Metro: Will operate from 5am on Friday, June 27, until 1am on Saturday, June 28. Dubai Tram: Will run from 6am on Friday, June 27, until 1am on Saturday, June 28. Make sure to plan your journey in advance using the RTA or S'hail app to check timings for buses, metro, tram, and marine transport. Service Centre Closures Whether you're spending the day with family or exploring the city, this is a great time to take advantage of the free parking and extended transport hours.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Sask. NDP calls for free parking at hospital emergency departments
WATCH: The NDP opposition is calling for free parking at hospital emergency departments. Wayne Mantyka has more. The NDP opposition is calling for free parking at hospital emergency departments. The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) implemented the parking fees about a year and a half ago. The NDP believe it's wrong to ask emergency patients to pay for parking while seeking urgent care. 'We've been very clear, we definitely don't feel people should be charged in emergency situations you know visiting the ER,' MLA Meara Conway said during an event Monday. Conway says she recently received her share of parking tickets while visiting a loved one in hospital. 'Especially when you've got a new app. People are really struggling to download that app. Can they pay on the machine? Can they pay by phone? I got a few parking tickets myself because it's the last thing you're thinking about when you're in that kind of situation,' she said. Some health care users, like Farrah Dorian, feel parking should be free for all hospital visitors. 'I don't really think it's appropriate and no one should have to pay to see their loved ones, right Especially if they're injured or they're on their deathbed. I don't think it's fair,' she said. Nova Scotia has cancelled hospital parking fees all together. 'People that are going to visit loved ones, or you know struggling with a diagnosis or interaction with the health care system, health care professionals, they won't have to worry about paying for parking so it's a good thing,' Premier Tim Houston said during that announcement. The Government of Saskatchewan says it is working on a response. While the Sask. NDP is calling for free parking for cancer and for emergency patients, the opposition is not certain whether that courtesy should be extended to all visitors and staff. It's currently studying the financial situation before suggesting what the government should do.
CBC
17-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Thunder Bay City Council to debate free parking proposal next month
Social Sharing A proposal to allow two hours of free parking in on-street, metered lots in Thunder Bay will be debated by city council next month. Administration brought the proposal forward in a report on Monday, May 12th. If eventually approved by council, it would see motorists get two free hours of parking, with the option to purchase two more, in metered spots throughout the city. A councillor — their name has not yet been provided — has agreed to table a motion at council's next meeting, which is scheduled for May 26. Council must wait a minimum of two weeks after the motion is tabled to debate and vote. Councillors representing Thunder Bay's business districts said Tuesday they're in favour of the move. That includes Coun. Andrew Foulds, who represents the Current River ward. "Most people, when they think of Current River, they they don't think about all the way down Cumberland into the core area," he said. "But of course the ward does meander down McVicar Creek into into the downtown." Foulds said the ward also encompasses part of Marina Park. "There have been a lot of proposed changes to parking over the last few years," he said. "I think we have to be honest with ourselves, some of the changes were fine with most people, and some of the changes, many people really struggled with." Foulds said he'll support the motion when it comes up for a vote, and noted supporting businesses in downtown cores is especially important given the Canada-US trade war. "I think there's another layer to all of this," he said, adding the "the whole issue south of the border has changed, I would say drastically, [in relation to] economic conditions, and the economic vibrancy of cities and their cores" in recent months. Westford ward Coun. Kristen Oliver, who's ward includes the Westfort Village business area, also said she'll support the motion. "The corridor between Brown and Edward, that's where the parking meters are," Oliver said. She noted that the services that people access in the area, whether visiting a pharmacy, a restaurant or a salon, can take longer than an hour. "Whether you're going in for waxing or you're shopping or you're having a meal, those typically tend to last at least an hour, I would say," she said. Oliver says the proposed change would allow customers to tap into the free two-hour parking option, and then offer an incentive to move on, "which then opens up that parking space for someone else to come in and utilize those services in that business corridor." Part of the proposal is also about the city getting more data on parking demand. The report that went to council Monday noted that there is "significant unused capacity" in the city's parking system, and the city isn't entirely sure why. "Given the many factors that have influenced parking in recent years — including the COVID-19 pandemic, revitalization projects, shifts in consumer habits, and rate increases — it is unclear what is driving current usage patterns." Council approved a new 10-year parking financial plan on Jan. 22, 2024, making several significant changes to parking in the city in the process, including: Increased rates. The introduction of paid parking at the Marina, and on Saturdays. Expanded hours of parking enforcement. The closure of under-utilized lots. The changes, the report states, were met with "significant community resistance," which led to some rollbacks, including the reversal of expanded enforcement hours. If council approves the new proposal, it would be in effect until the end of 2027. "We need to make informed decisions based on empirical data," Foulds said. "That's why we're, even though there's free parking, we're asking people to go to the machines and log into the app so that we have good solid data in order to make informed decisions on whatever the strategic direction is."
