Jum'aa Saeed, who works at the Arabian Exchange on Hamdan Street, says he usually has to park on the Corniche.
Jum'aa Saeed, who works at the Arabian Exchange on Hamdan Street, says he usually has to park on the Corniche.

Paying to park may not solve the problem, say sceptical motorists



ABU DHABI // In a city where spending a half-hour to find a parking space has become routine for many, residents doubt that the introduction of paid parking will make their lives any easier. But beginning next month, they will find out for sure. That is when the Department of Transport will start using meters in the congested central business district. An exact date for the beginning of the pay-to-park scheme has not been set, but an announcement is expected in the coming week. In the first phase, drivers will have to pay to park along Hamdan Street between Fourth and Baniyas streets and on Sheikh Zayed the First Street near Airport Road. Multi-storey car parks, the redesign of existing spaces and park-and-ride facilities are all part of the Government's remedy to what has become an unbearable problem for residents such as Maher Wazir. About to run an errand at a nearby store, Mr Wazir, a civil engineer, is double-parked on Hamdan Street. "I have no choice," he says, gesturing at the congested road. "It's difficult to park in this city." He regularly parks his car far from his Gasco office and is sometimes forced to walk in the sweltering heat for more than 15 minutes. "Paid parking could help," said Mr Wazir, 45. But, he added, "the problem would benefit from projects phased in at different times." As Abu Dhabi's population grows, so too does the parking problem. The emirate has witnessed a surge in the number of registered vehicles, a figure that climbed 16 per cent between 2005 and 2008. Jum'aa Saeed, an employee at the Arabian Exchange on Hamdan Street, usually finds himself a parking spot on the Corniche. "It's impossible to move around in the early afternoon and after 7pm," he said. "Perhaps paid parking is better than nothing, but I don't like the idea that I have to pay." The DoT will charge motorists Dh3 an hour on the city's thoroughfares and Dh2 on other roads from 8am to 9pm, excluding holidays and Fridays; people eventually will be able to pay parking fees via their phones or smart cards. The fee for multi-storey garages will remain at Dh2. An employee with the DoT, Alexander, 45, leaves his home as early as possible to find a place to park next to his office, as the area's car park fills up quickly. "You can find space if you come early, at around 7am," he said. "But if you come on time, forget about it. The only short-term solution is to wake up early. It's not fair, there aren't many options." Police patrol the extensive car park, located near several banks and the DoT's offices in Marina al Bateen, regularly issuing fines. In the first half of 2009, police across the capital handed out 39,215 parking fines. The fine for abusing a parking space is Dh200 (plus three black points on a licence) and for parking in places designated for people with special needs it is Dh1,000 (and four black points). "The ideal solution would be to set by law that every newly constructed building includes underground parking," said Alexander, who declined to give his last name. "If residents will have to pay to park around their own building, there will be pandemonium and new problems." Additional reporting by Matthew Chung

Cryopreservation: A timeline
  1. Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
  2. Ovarian tissue surgically removed
  3. Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
  4. Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
  5. Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
MIDWAY

Produced: Lionsgate Films, Shanghai Ryui Entertainment, Street Light Entertainment
Directed: Roland Emmerich
Cast: Ed Skrein, Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Aaron Eckhart, Luke Evans, Nick Jonas, Mandy Moore, Darren Criss
Rating: 3.5/5 stars

How to tell if your child is being bullied at school

Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety

Shows signs of depression or isolation

Ability to sleep well diminishes

Academic performance begins to deteriorate

Changes in eating habits

Struggles to concentrate

Refuses to go to school

Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings

Begins to use language they do not normally use

Squid Game season two

Director: Hwang Dong-hyuk 

Stars:  Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon and Lee Byung-hun

Rating: 4.5/5

Bharat

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Starring: Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sunil Grover

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

The specs

Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6

Power: 400hp

Torque: 475Nm

Transmission: 9-speed automatic

Price: From Dh215,900

On sale: Now

Paatal Lok season two

Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy 

Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong

Rating: 4.5/5

Masters%20of%20the%20Air
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Dubai Kahayla Classic – Group 1 (PA) $750,000 (Dirt) 2,000m
Winner: Deryan, Ioritz Mendizabal (jockey), Didier Guillemin (trainer).
Godolphin Mile – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Secret Ambition, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
Dubai Gold Cup – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (Turf) 3,200m
Winner: Subjectivist, Joe Fanning, Mark Johnston
Al Quoz Sprint – Group 1 (TB) $1million (T) 1,200m
Winner: Extravagant Kid, Ryan Moore, Brendan Walsh
UAE Derby – Group 2 (TB) $750,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner: Rebel’s Romance, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
Dubai Golden Shaheen – Group 1 (TB) $1.5million (D) 1,200m
Winner: Zenden, Antonio Fresu, Carlos David
Dubai Turf – Group 1 (TB) $4million (T) 1,800m
Winner: Lord North, Frankie Dettori, John Gosden
Dubai Sheema Classic – Group 1 (TB) $5million (T) 2,410m
Winner: Mishriff, John Egan, John Gosden

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo

Power: 178hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 280Nm at 1,350-4,200rpm

Transmission: seven-speed dual-clutch auto

Price: from Dh209,000 

On sale: now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Conservative MPs who have publicly revealed sending letters of no confidence
  1. Steve Baker
  2. Peter Bone
  3. Ben Bradley
  4. Andrew Bridgen
  5. Maria Caulfield​​​​​​​
  6. Simon Clarke 
  7. Philip Davies
  8. Nadine Dorries​​​​​​​
  9. James Duddridge​​​​​​​
  10. Mark Francois 
  11. Chris Green
  12. Adam Holloway
  13. Andrea Jenkyns
  14. Anne-Marie Morris
  15. Sheryll Murray
  16. Jacob Rees-Mogg
  17. Laurence Robertson
  18. Lee Rowley
  19. Henry Smith
  20. Martin Vickers 
  21. John Whittingdale