Parking
The issue of parking has always caused challenges to the countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC). With the heavy reliance of residents and visitors on private vehicles, authorities are now investing to increase the amount of parking spaces available.
Abu Dhabi Department of Transport have recently launched Mawaqif as an integral part of their Surface Transport Master Plan (STMP). Mawaqif will provide a world class car parking management system in the capital of the UAE and highlights the Department of Transport’s commitment to public and private sector cooperation.
Paid parking initiatives are being introduced across the region to ease congestion and ease the flow of emergency vehicles through cities. Paid parking will be introduced across all 70,000 parking spaces in Abu Dhabi over the next three years.
As public transport systems develop, the introduction of new parking facilities is imperative to channel users to appropriate nodes on the network. Authorities are also seeking innovative technologies to ease the parking process such as the mParking system introduced by Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority.