Parking

Parking

I must say that the parking here is probably one of the 2 things that still frustrate me! But what is scary is that the parking situation has gotten much much better in the 2 years we’ve been here!

Like any major city, Abu Dhabi has a traffic challenge! But unlike most cities, the only parking garages here are those at the malls. So this is fine if one is going to a mall or to a grocery store in one of the many malls, but to do most of our daily errands, general parking is a challenge.  

When we first arrived 2 years ago parking was a nightmare! Lots and spaces are small and cars are large! With no parking regulations and too few “parking police” to monitor, cars were parked everywhere  – and I mean everywhere! In many cases a line of parked cars would form down the middle of a lane in a lot! Or sometimes you’d see cars parked up on curbs! I was terrified to drive through the lots in these instances! It is not uncommon here for people to park wherever they can, then leave their mobile number posted in their dash board window so that if you are blocked in by them, you just simply call the number, ask them to move their car and they come down and move their car! I’ve actually had to make these calls more than once! I have been told that if you are blocked in by another car who hasn’t kindly left their phone number, you can call the police, they will come out and through the car’s license plate number be able to track down the owner and get them to move their car!

This is the as yet unfinished dirt parking lot behind our apartment building. I’m happy we have a parking garage!

But then came Mawaqif!!!!! The paid parking system. I love Mawaqif!!!! 
This system was slowly rolled out in the city. Kiosks were installed around the parking lots where one would enter coins for hourly parking. After receiving a slip with a printed time on it you leave that in your windshield. It is very inexpensive – the equivalent of only about $.75 per hour! Now cars are only parked in the designated spots and finding a spot is so much easier! And no parked cars down the middle of the lots!!

But these kiosks only take coins and it was a challenge to always have enough coins available – not unlike having to find quarters! Then I heard about the Mawaqif card. This is a type of debit card that one buys with 100 AED (about $30) and can be used in the kiosks – deducting the parking charge at every use. This could only be bought at the Mawaqif offices  (like our DMV). Well this was going to be an experience! But I decided I had to do it so I found an office in the Mall, and walked in like I knew what I was doing – though very nervous.  There were only a handful of women in the waiting area and I think I was the only western one! But they had a “women only” line so I took a number and waited only a few minutes. The woman behind the counter was an Emirati and was extremely helpful! I was so proud of myself as I left with my Mawaqif card!

Now I go anywhere knowing that I am equipped and able to park!