Abu Dhabi to end free parking

Abu Dhabi will put an end to free parking across the city from next month, the Department of Transport has said.

Under the change, designed to improve traffic flow and stop illegal parking, motorists will need to purchase a ticket under the Mawaqif system to park anywhere in the capital.

Mawaqif was introduced in 2009 and paid parking has been present in most areas of the emirate for years.

Parking in Abu Dhabi is divided into residential and non residential areas, with the former restricted to tenants and property owners between 9:00pm and 8:00am.

Spaces are also divided into standard (black and turqouise colouring) and premium (white and turqouise) costing Dhs2 ($0.54) and Dhs3 ($0.82) per hour respectively.

With the implementation of paid parking across the city, new signs will be introduced to identify different parking tiers.

Residential permits are available for Dhs800 ($218) a year, with a second for the same location costing Dhs1,200 ($327). Reduced rates of Dhs400 and Dhs600 per year are available if two-year permits are acquired.

Emiratis living in villas are exempt from permit charges and those in apartments can apply for four free permits.

The Department of Transport urged residents to apply for permits, so they can still park for free outside their homes, before the August 18 implementation date.

The emirate has announced a number of other changes affecting motorists so far this year including plans for road tolls and a crackdown on unregistered vehicles.

Read: Abu Dhabi cracks down on unregistered cars via toll gates