ABU DHABI // Drivers across the UAE are being urged to be considerate when parking and not take up extra spaces.
A Toyota FJ Cruiser with an Abu Dhabi plate was parked across two spaces at Abu Dhabi Mall’s basement car park last week. A few metres away, a Mercedes-Benz SUV occupied two parking spots, preventing another driver from using space next to it.
Two-space parking is an all-too common sight in the mall and should be discouraged, said Omar Bajaman, 27, a motorist and human resources professional from Saudi Arabia.
“There’s no reason why they need to take up two parking spaces,” he said, indicating a nearby vehicle.
“Check out the GMC Tahoe – I used to drive one here in the UAE – it perfectly fit into this parking space. People are just downright rude, disrespectful and don’t care about others.”
Authorities have set minimum standards for the size of parking spaces and many developers provide just that – the absolute minimum – to increase capacity in malls, said Dino Kalivas, chairman of driver education at the International Road Federation.
However, he said it was still up to drivers to park in a single allocated parking space only and position their vehicle in the centre for the convenience of those parked next to them.
“Many drivers are conscious of not wanting their cars to be damaged and this in turn may cause drivers to take two spaces,” Mr Kalivas said.
Colin Morrison, facilities manager at Aswaq Management Services, said his staff tried to politely keep the parking in check at the malls they managed.
“We have regular, friendly security patrols who advise and educate on the spot regarding parking,” he said.
“We also use our CCTV cameras to check and, again, advise. We deter and educate only the minority of customers who may wish to abuse their parking space.”
Robert Hodges, chief operating officer at Emirates Driving Institute said: “We all need to get into and out of parking bays and we need to be considerate.
“Drivers need to take extra caution and consideration to align themselves properly or seek a more suitable bay.
“Those who hog slots should be fined heavily or wheel-clamped to reinforce regulations.”
Abu Dhabi Mall has signs and lights indicating available parking areas, said Mr Morrison, whose company provided management services to the mall but it could not impose fines. If a vehicle is incorrectly parked, officials advise the police.
Col Jamal Al Ameri, head of public relations at Abu Dhabi traffic police, said police would not issue a fine to the drivers since the mall’s car park did not fall under its jurisdiction.
However, drivers do face a Dh300 fine for occupying two parking spots in public parking areas, Mawaqif warned.
rruiz@thenational.ae
More on parking in the UAE:
■ Drivers of oversized vehicles are crowding out smaller cars in UAE
■ Poor parking etiquette a headache for UAE mall visitors
■ Drivers express frustration over poor parking in Abu Dhabi malls