Residents of a Dubai community known for affordable living have started paying almost Dh1,000 ($272) to park a second car every month outside a cluster of residential buildings.
The paid parking system, which will cost residents of Discovery Gardens Dh945 a month or Dh2,625 each quarter, came into effect on Monday after a couple of days' extension was given to address difficulties in registering on the associated app.
The National spoke to a customer agent at Parkonic, the country’s largest private parking operator, who confirmed residents were given a 48-hour extension to register vehicles by January 19 and choose a monthly or quarterly package.
The Discovery Gardens neighbourhood allows residents one free parking per studio, one-bedroom or two-bedroom apartment. The paid system is part of a move across the city to enforce parking fees in areas that were earlier free of charge.
Fee 'too high'
The announcement was met with dismay, with residents posting comments on social media that Dh945 was too high.
Many residents, who agreed to be identified with a single name, said they had approached the private operator and building management companies to reduce the charge. Most residents said parking spots had opened up, as non-residents were no longer snapping them up.
“This is too high and unfair because a lot of families have two cars, we are residents and should not be penalised,” said Claudia, Discovery Gardens resident who parks one car for free in the building's basement.
The family has decided to park their second car in a nearby community to avoid paying the "steep" new fee.
“We really will need to park elsewhere," she said. "This monthly charge is too steep when there are no dedicated slots. I pay Dh486 to park in my office in JLT [Jumeirah Lakes Towers]. We would have been OK to pay Dh500 here but Dh945 is really too much.”
Parkonic has said the decision was made so all residents could make use of available slots outside the buildings. “Discovery Gardens will now enjoy fair usage, reduced congestion and better space availability,” the operator said on its website.
Describing the neighbourhood as one of Dubai’s most densely populated residential communities, the company said there had been issues with illegal parking, traffic flow and long-term vehicle storage, so paid parking would ensure spaces were used efficiently and benefited everyone.
The National is awaiting a response to emails sent to Dubai Community Holding Management and Dubai Residential, formerly Nakheel, on the new parking fee.
“We have kids to take to school, classes and for sports activity, how can our family manage with one car?” said Zeba, a mother of two young children who has lived in the neighbourhood for three years.
“This is a hefty charge for average families. We are hoping the company listens to our requests and reduces the fee. The parking is not covered, it’s not reserved and it’s more than most places charge.”
The average long-term public parking packages are upwards of Dh400 a month in JLT, to upwards of Dh300 in Studio City, Sports City, Academic City and Production City.
Some residents relieved
Families with one car backed the decision saying they were often fined for parking in unauthorised areas when non-residents packed vehicles into parking zones.
“Frankly speaking, I’m happy because we paid Dh1,500 in fines three times last year,” said Naaz, another Discovery Gardens resident.
“We are residents so we do deserve to get parking. But we have got so many fines – all because we were forced to park on the side of lanes. Now there is so much parking space on every street. People who use the Metro and people from other areas would park for free here and they have stopped now. Yes, people with two cars will have a problem, so the monthly rate should be lower.”
Other residents said full car parks were also down to people sharing accommodation in some buildings.
“I have one car so this is a good decision for me but not for bigger families,” said Mohamad, a Discovery Gardens resident for four years.
“The problem is in some places you have 15 people living in a one-bedroom apartment or four people living in a studio, so there will be at least six to seven extra cars in the parking.”
Mohamad told of how friends had been fined for parking in unmarked spaces near their building when the car park was full.
“I have come home at 6pm or 8pm after work and there was no parking so I had to go back to my office in Media City, park there and take a cab home,” he said.
“My neighbours and friends have been fined often for parking on the side of roads. They are residents and could not get a spot.
"Now, it’s better because the spots are empty. But at the community level, there should be a solution to differentiate between genuine tenants, people sharing apartments and people from outside. Genuine tenants with a second car should not be charged so much.”
