ABU DHABI // Dozens of vehicles are sitting abandoned in Abu Dhabi International Airport car parks,defying the municipality’s efforts to get rid of them.
The vehicles, which are heavily soiled with dirt, are immobilised by wheel clamps and airport authorities have put warning notices on their windscreens.
A recent count had 34 parked in the Terminal 1 arrivals car park area, while the multistorey SkyPark had 26 at one point last week. Most had Abu Dhabi plates while others were from Dubai.
A driver can park at Abu Dhabi airport for Dh20 per hour.
Parking for a full day at Terminal 2 is Dh120, while Terminals 1 and 3 is Dh240. Long-term parking costs between Dh3,600 and Dh7,200 per month.
A Mawaqif employee at the airport said the cars had been there for more than a year, resulting in more than Dh100,000 in unpaid fines.
“Abu Dhabi Airports is working with the authorities to have abandoned vehicles removed from its car parks,” an Abu Dhabi Airports Company spokesman said.
Visitors have complained.
“Such dirty cars at airports do not look good,” said Rustom, a Pakistani. “If they are violating rules, they should be removed.”
An Emirati said that the vehicles should be removed to give space to others. “If they are in violation of parking rules at the airport parking lot I think the airport authority will take strict action and that’s why they are locked,” he said.
More than 1,000 abandoned vehicles were towed last year as part of a campaign to remove dirty cars from car parks and suburbs to improve the city's appearance.
“More than 1,233 abandoned vehicles were seized in 2016 and 4,929 warnings were given to owners, while more than 100 received fines for leaving their vehicles in public places,” Abu Dhabi Municipality said.
anwar@thenational.ae