Paid parking expanding in Khalidiya

Mawaqif announces new 1,650-space parking zone, as RTA exempts UAE nationals from parking fees.

Parking spaces in Khalidiya are crowded with queues of buses.

ABU DHABI // An additional 1,650 parking spots in Khalidiya will come under the Mawaqif management scheme starting on Sunday.

The Department of Transport said yesterday that the parking spots are north of Zayed the First Street and south of Al Falah Street, and east of Airport Road and west of 26th Street.

This will increase the total number of paid parking spots in the area from 3,475 to 5,125.

The Mawaqif expansion is the result of an agreement between the Department of Transport and Sorouh Properties to use a plot of land in Khalidiya that can accommodate 1,200 vehicles. The other 450 parking spots were generated by rerouting traffic in the area's inner street.

Paid parking, which ends at 9pm in current Mawaqif areas, will be extended until 10pm in Khalidiya.

From 10pm to 8am, parking will be permitted only for those with residents' permits. This change in paid parking hours will gradually be implemented across all other Mawaqif-managed zones.

Citywide, the total number of spaces in the Mawaqif paid-parking scheme is expected to increase from nearly 30,000 at present to 71,000 by the end of the year, with additional plans for 10 multi-storey car parks in the capital: six conventional, two robotic and two temporary.

Meanwhile, Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority is granting free parking permits to Emiratis who live in paid parking zones.

Those who live in apartment buildings will be issued L-category permits. The number of permits allotted per household depends on the size of the applicant's accommodation.

One permit will be issued for a one-bedroom flat or studio, two permits to occupants of a two-bedroom flat, three to occupants of a three-bedroom flat, and four permits will be issued to occupants of a villa or four-bedroom flat.

Emiratis living in villas can reserve parking spots in the areas nearest to their homes.

The reserved parking spots will be outlined with yellow borders and will state the number of the occupant's villa.

Villa residents will be issued a V-category permit which must be fixed on the windscreen of the vehicle. Vehicles parked in reserved areas without permits will be ticketed.