New Dubai parking fees: Some residents to move offices, adjust schedules to avoid higher costs
Dubai has recently introduced several modifications to the parking system and some residents are rethinking their long-term plans. Some are preparing for changes that could make a difference to how they run their business, while others are less in need of new offices and a disruption to their routine.
A new variable pricing tariff from Parkin PJSC, an operator of paid public parking facilities, will take effect next month throughout Dubai. Paid Parking at Dh6 an hour in other public parking zones for premium parking during peak time from 8am to 10am and 4pm to 8pm (weekends and public holidays excluded).
Janet R (her full name has been withheld at her request), who lives in Abu Hail, will now have to pay nearly double what she currently pays for car parking with the move. As our building does have only one car parking, we have been parking out another car on the street within the D parking zone, she stated. We currently pay Dh12 per day on average. My math says this will rise to Dh20 uses the new pricing system. I was spending over Dh500 monthly just on parking costs.
With the new charges, Janet and her husband would have to recalibrate a number of things in their schedule to make parking price-wise friendly. As for her husband, who regularly takes advantage of the work-from-home policy, this change will affect him, too, as he prefers to head into the office more since his office has free parking, she said. We will also optimize our scheduling to minimize the time that our cars occupy paid parking space at peak hours, Rosensweig said.
Now, with weeks before the variable tariff comes into play, parking codes in a number of regions are being revised. Drivers received messages about the updated codes on multiple apps that say: "Please note the zone codes have been updated but the tariff price is still the same". For example, the zone code A is now AP, and the parking rates are unchanged.
Moving office
A new move, which has some counting their losses. Entrepreneur Uma Bhattathiripad has maintained an office on Sheikh Zayed Road for more than a decade but is “seriously considering” moving her office elsewhere.
Uma said, "My office staff are already being charged for nine to ten hours in office." Collectively, they will pay more than Dh2,000 extra each month for parking now. This is going to cost them dearly to manage. I am thinking of relocating the office to another side of the town with more parking spaces.
Uma wished they’d look at more mass parking for other areas around Sheikh Zayed Road. A lot of the parking lots that were there before used to have a daily or even monthly rate but all that has now been cut off, she said. I would like RTA to have some mass parking facilities in Deira and Bur Dubai as well for more options.
Bracing for impact
The congestion pricing policy for event areas was announced last month. During Gulfood, Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) also implemented Dh25-per-hour charged public parking bays adjacent to event areas. For now, that goes into effect exclusively during marquee events.
This is a concern for one organiser is worried this will affect her event this Sunday — the Jaunt Run, which encourages families to walk in their local area. GETEX project director Tanya Mokle said: "Our education show will take place at the DWTC and in April while the Arabian Travel Market is running."
Normally, we have more than 20,000 attendees in three days but this year we are not sure how many will come due to the parking fees," he said. Parents and educators should not have to spend Dh25 an hour when they want to go to the exhibition for a few hours to look round universities. A lot of people will leave their busy lives, go home, then grab their kids then head to the event.
It was not possible for organisers to schedule the exhibition for a different time of the year, she added. She said: “Our event is hugely time sensitive as we support universities with reaching their student recruitment targets for September. “So we need to attract the right people to quote in with these reps.”
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