Latest news with #parkingfees
Khaleej Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: No private parking? Residents may need to pay Dh500 for a spot this summer
With the Eid Al Adha break starting next Thursday, many UAE residents preparing for summer travel are facing an unexpected hurdle - soaring private parking fees. Those without designated building parking now find themselves shelling out Dh500 to Dh600 a month just to leave their vehicles in a safe spot - a sharp increase from the Dh200 they paid last summer. 'Shocked to hear the new prices' Aliya Rehman, a bank executive living on Al Maktoum Road in Deira, said her building offers only one parking slot, not enough for her family's two cars. "We usually leave the second car in the public paid zone near our building - it's in Zone 125C,' she said. "But when we travel for more than a week, we prefer a private, multilevel lot for peace of mind." Last year, she paid Dh200 to a nearby private operator. "This year, he's asking Dh500. He says it's because the car will be idle and he'll make sure the battery doesn't drain, wash it, and keep it safe. That sounds like a good service, but more than doubling the price feels like taking advantage. We're leaving next Wednesday for our hometown, and I don't want to risk leaving the car in open parking." 'Nowhere to park' Hadi Akbari, 38, a dry fruit trader living in Al Nahda, said parking has become a major source of stress. "During normal days, I manage with public parking, usually Zone 241D. But when I travel, I look for private lots." This year, he said the problem has become worse. "Some attendants are asking for Dh600 per month, and most spaces are already taken. I am travelling to Isfahan with my family for Eid and summer break, and I don't know where to park my car." He mentioned that congestion in areas near his residence makes things more complicated. "There are spaces available in away from my office and residence. Even if I find a spot, I worry about how to to bring the car back when I return." 'They know we're desperate during holidays' Mohammed Irfan, a logistics manager from Karama, said he paid just Dh150 last year to park for three weeks. 'Now, the same place quoted Dh350 - just because I'll be away and can't check on the car." These guys know people are flying out, and they are using that to their advantage. Even public parking has become more expensive, so private operators are following suit." Irfan is flying to Hyderabad for Eid Al Adha with his family and is still figuring out where to park his car. "It's either pay up or risk a fine or maybe damage. And without building parking, I don't have a choice." With the Eid holidays being clubbed with summer vacations, hundreds of families across the UAE are heading home or traveling abroad for several weeks. But without secure parking included in their accommodation, the added costs are starting to pile up. Khaleej Times checked with several private parking providers in Deira, Karama, and Muhaisnah. Most of them said the higher rates were because of an increase in their rents and leases and also mentioned that they offer care in the owner's absence. "We don't just park the car, we protect it," said one operator. "We wash it, check it, and even send daily video updates to the owner." Another said rising costs forced them to increase rates. "Our rent and lease charges have gone up, too, so we had to adjust prices slightly." For now, with time running out before Eid, many residents find themselves stuck between high parking costs and the worry of leaving their car exposed to summer heat.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Gloucester raises non-resident beach parking price, requires online reservation
A price hike for non-residents visiting Gloucester's popular beaches is now in effect. People showed up this week paying more than $40 to park. "We came two years ago, and it was $20 a car. Now it's double. We didn't know we had to pay for the entire night. We are paid up until 9 p.m. tonight," said John Lacaire, a teacher who brought students from Worcester Technical High School to the beach as part of a field trip. "We are here with some of our students for a field trip, so no way we can stay until 9 p.m." Reservations required The price went up $10 from last season. City Councilor Jeff Worthley says he started the push to have a reservation system for non-residents before he got on the council. Lacaire also had no idea that he and his colleague Paul Chambers had to make a reservation online before parking with the students. "They had us leave the parking lot so we could make the reservation online. We left, drove down the street, made a reservation, came back five minute later, and they let us in," said Lacaire. "Our numbers have been through the roof as far as people wanting to come to the beach," said Worthley. "If it turns out somehow this impacts demand, and we don't have many people coming, we can reduce the price." Worthley says costs have gone up to maintain the beaches. They do provide bathrooms, lifeguards, and safety measures. City trying to offset costs "Our costs have gone up on everything, and so this is a way to offset that, and do it in a way that taxpayers in Gloucester aren't having to shoulder the whole burden," said Worthley. "We did go up $10 more per car per day. We like to think that when you carpool with four to five people that's an affordable family friendly destination." Local residents pay far less to park. There are two options. For residents, they can pay $20 for a beach-only parking sticker. They can also apply for a sticker that gets them access to beaches and other city amenities like their compost station. That sticker is $5 for a 5-year span that resets every five years. If you apply for the sticker later in the 5-year span, it will cost less. "A lot of beaches and a lot of people keep coming in, it became a big traffic problem," said Dick Pokolek, a Gloucester resident who has the five-year sticker. "The backups for traffic were so heavy that they had to find a solution." "Before they started doing the reservation system, sometimes you could get here and not have a parking space. I understand why they did it, but it's just too much," said Diane Messuri who came with friends and was stunned to pay more than $40 to park. "Why do I have to pay this much every time I come, and just because they live in the town, they get such a bargain?"
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Business owners say paid parking on evening, weekends would be bad news
The city says proposed parking fees on evenings and weekends in certain neighbourhoods would improve turnover and reduce frustration. Business owners worry customers will just stay away.
CBC
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Business owners say paid parking on evening, weekends would be bad news
The city says proposed parking fees on evenings and weekends in certain neighbourhoods would improve turnover and reduce frustration. Business owners worry customers will just stay away.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Automotive
- Daily Mail
Walmart sparks fury as they now charge customers for service that's been free forever
A Walmart store in Honolulu, Hawaii, has imposed parking fees. The company announced that non-customers who use a parking garage used for Walmart and Sam's Club shoppers must now pay $3 every 30 minutes, coming out to about $48 a day. The move is to ensure that more spaces will be available to customers who have trouble parking their cars. Anyone whose parking fee balance comes out to $50 or more will potentially have their car towed - but costs will only be implemented after a three-hour grace period in the garage. Retail expert Neil Saunders, of GlobalData, said he is familiar with the parking issues facing this particular Walmart location in central Honolulu. 'That branch of Walmart in Honolulu is in a very busy location and the parking lot is often used by people who are not shopping in the store. 'This is becoming very annoying for Walmart customers who sometimes struggle to find parking spaces,' he told However he does not think Walmart will look out to roll out these fees universally since a lot of stores are not in urban areas. 'Walmart's fix is fair: it is allowing customers to park free for 3 hours which is more than enough time to shop the store. After that it will charge. It is designed to deter non-customers from taking up space,' Saunders said. The company is enforcing the parking rules by monitoring license plates with video cameras as cars enter and exit the garage on Keeaumoku Street. Walmart completed this process with the help of Secure Parking Hawaii, a company that serves the parking needs of drivers in Honolulu. The parking change is one of many things Walmart has enforced since announcing its plans to revamp 650 stores. Shoppers revealed that parking had been a major issue for quite some time in that area. 'It's been really hard to find parking here because there are so many trucks and things here because of the construction across the street,' customer Thomas Barber told KHON2. 'They need to find parking for those people somewhere else.' Others agree with Barber and have given their full support for the new parking fees. 'I think it will free up parking. A lot less people will be parking here and walking to different stores, and I won't have to spend 30 minutes finding a parking spot, trying to get in and out,' said fellow customer Ge Song. Drivers who are not Walmart or Sam's Club shoppers will be required to pay $3 every 30 minutes after a 3-hour grace period Reddit users are also praising the change, and a few shoppers slammed individuals who take spots in the garage without shopping. But Area Neighborhood Board Chair Kathleen Lee claimed she was unaware of the plan, and was not thrilled on how the company went about the change. 'Walmart is such a significant structure in our neighborhood that if they were to do something like start charging, it would be nice to give the neighborhood a heads up,' she said. As part of company-wide changeups, Walmart created a new logo and is planning to open 40 to 45 fuel station convenience stores. The company is also in the process of removing self-checkouts from Sam's Club and to start using more AI technology.
