Abu Dhabi's parking meters upgraded to accept new coins

The Department of Transport in Abu Dhabi says Mawaqif meters will be upgraded to accept all coins by the second quarter of 2013.

Parking meters in the capital will begin accepting new and old coins when machines are upgraded from April. Philip Cheung / The National

ABU DHABI // More parking meters will accept new coins after upgrades continue in April, according to the emirate’s Department of Transport.

Priority will be given to congested areas such as the main business centre, hospitals and government buildings.

The department said the machines in 11 sectors in Abu Dhabi had already been updated.

The machines accepted only the old Dh1 coin that weighs 6.44 grams, and rejected the new coins that weigh 6.17g. Authorities said making all machines compatible meant reprogramming each one, so it would take some time to complete all 50 sectors.

Drivers can buy parking cards at Mawaqif customer service centres on Muroor, Al Falah and Khalifa streets, behind Marina Mall and at Lulu International Exchange.

They can pay using their mobile phones by sending an SMS to 3009 and providing their registration number, the parking area type – premium or standard – and the number of hours they intend to stay.

The fees will be deducted from customers' mobile phone credit on Etisalat or du.