ABU DHABI // Families in a community on the outskirts of the capital say speeding drivers and irresponsible parking are putting the lives of residents, especially small children, at risk.
Residents in Al Reef say more needs to be done to curb dangerous driving and increase parking around the residential area.
In March this year an Emirati boy, 4, had to be resuscitated by paramedics after being run over.
This week, the community’s Facebook page carried rumours of another child being injured, although Abu Dhabi Police could not be reached to confirm this.
“I would never allow my children to play outside,” said Michelle Kidson, who lives in one of the villas with her two young daughters.
Mrs Kidson said she regularly flagged down drivers for speeding in front of her home. The situation had become so bad that she planned to move out next year.
“I have been living in Abu Dhabi for nine years and this is not what you would call ‘first-world problems’, but life endangering,” said the South African.
Complaints about dangerous parking in the Downtown apartments area have risen since the start of the school year this week.
Residents are increasingly angry about cars left in front of fire hydrants, blocking exits from buildings and being double parked in the middle of the road.
“Me and my younger sister could not get out of one exit this morning,” said Samuel Rodriguez, 11, who lives with his family in an Al Reef Downtown flat.
The boy had to lead his sister to another door after a car blocked one of their building’s exists.
They had to walk outside the apartment complex to catch their school bus, which was blocked from the buildings by illegally parked cars.
Samuel’s father also had trouble leaving the development on Wednesday morning because a double-parked car blocked his way, said his wife, Carolina Rodriguez.
“He had to call security to find the owner,” said Mrs Rodriguez, a Colombian who has lived in Al Reef Downtown for more than two years.
“It’s been like this since the beginning and it’s a very dangerous situation.
The problem is worst first thing in the morning before residents have begun their trip to work and have not moved their parked cars, which deny school buses access to pick up the pupils.
South African Scott Strombeck, who is visiting the UAE for the first time, has been helping his son to drop off and pick up his grandchildren at the bus every day this week.
“I also jog in the morning and I see the difficulty the buses have to go through to get to the children,” said Mr Strombeck.
He said his son had an equally difficult task finding a parking space in the evening when he returned home from work.
Lisabeth Benesk, who also lives in Al Reef Downtown, blamed the community management company Manazel for not living up to promises.
“We were told underground parking would be available time and time again, but nothing has come about,” said Ms Benesk.
She said residents had complained to the security guards and Manazel, but nothing had been done.
“The security guards have no power to issue tickets or warn people, and you know a major accident is going to happen at any time,” Ms Benesk said.
A spokesman for Manazel was unavailable for comment.
Adding to problems in the Downtown area are abandoned cars, jet skis and trailers left by their owners, said resident Carla Mirza.
“There are many children playing in the streets unsupervised but it’s too dangerous here,” said the mother of one.
Mrs Kidson said the community needed more enforcement, security cameras on the streets, and fines and punishments handed out to motorists who broke the rules and endangered the community.
“We moved out to Al Reef for one reason only – we wanted the quieter lifestyle offered over here,” she said,.
Mrs Kidson said she felt there was little chance of finding the peace her family was looking for while the problems with the roads persisted.
tsubaihi@thenational.ae
