New parking system in Abu Dhabi
Department of Transport (DoT) yesterday announced a car park system in
Abu Dhabi to help solve the growing problem of congestion.
The
department said public parking management strategy, a multi-phased
approach to reduce congestion, will set tariffs on street level parking
and introduce permits to residents and establish Abu Dhabi Parking
Committee, a cross-government organisation.
Najib Al Zarouni,
Director of Parking, DoT, said: "The programme is a first short-term
measure in a much bigger strategy, which is a critical part of the
government's efforts to ensure that Abu Dhabi becomes a greener, more
accessible and less congested capital."
The plan includes
pay-parking machines that are being installed across the emirate,
dedicated pay-parking facilities on hourly and long-term basis and
annual paid permits for parking around residential and commercial areas.
Al
Zarouni said the strategy is designed to address problems associated
with parking spaces and providing short- and immediate-term solutions,
including increasing the numbers of parking spaces in key areas.
The
other measures in the strategy, which will be implemented from the
fourth quarter of this year, include the introduction of paid parking,
enforcement of time limits to increase vehicle turnover and to prevent
the misuse of limited street level spaces, residents' parking schemes
and park-and-ride options in identified "hot-spots".
Al Zarouni
said: "This is just a first step but we believe these measures will
result in visible improvements by the year-end, with less congestion,
fewer illegally parked vehicles and a better understanding among car
owners of the need to park correctly to support the free flow of
traffic through our emirate. It is a fairer and more transparent system
that benefits residents and supports local businesses."
He said
development and implementation of the system was necessary as the
number of registered vehicles in Abu Dhabi has risen by 16 per cent
annually in the period between 2005 and 2008 and the number of people
holding licences also increased by 10 per cent every year in the same
period.
The department has launched tariffs for the first time,
with the fees for premium parking on main streets set at Dh3 per hour
and Dh2 per hour charge in other locations. Permits to residents will
cost Dh800 per year for one car and Dh1,200 per year for a second car.
Al
Zarouni said a cross-government agency- the Parking Committee- has
been formed to ensure an integrated and streamlined approach to
tackling issues associated with parking.
Members of the
committee include senior representatives from the Urban Planning
Council, Abu Dhabi Municipality, Abu Dhabi Police and the DoT.
He
also said studies were under way to examine sites for the development
of public car park buildings in locations across Abu Dhabi.
Two of these sites were announced yesterday with the parking committee working on the final plans for facilities in these areas.
In
co-ordination with other partners, the DoT is also examining street
level parking enhancements, including quick-build temporary steel
structures and enhanced road surface and layouts, which create
additional spaces, said Al Zarouni.
The public parking
management strategy has been developed using the latest technology and
in future will include the option to pay parking fees via mobile phones
or smart cards.
The smart cards will also be capable of integration with other payment systems.
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