Parking fees raised in Dubai

A fee of Dh2 for the first hour's parking will be in force across Dubai within three weeks.

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DUBAI // A blanket fee of Dh2 for the first hour's parking will be in force across the emirate within the next three weeks, transport chiefs said today. During the past week, the cost of one hour's parking has doubled from Dh1 to Dh2 in certain areas to bring them in line with places where this was already the standard charge. Over the next three weeks, the Roads and Transport Authority aims to roll out the standard Dh2 charge at all car parks, and is in the process of converting parking meters. For motorists parking in city centre areas like Deira and Bur Dubai there will be no change as the minimum cost is already Dh2, in line with legislation. Peyman Younes Parham, director of marketing and corporate communications at the RTA, said: "The original law on parking states that the parking has to be Dh2 for the first hour. When we launched the parking five years ago, everything in the city centre would be kept at Dh2 where the major traffic was and what was on the outskirts was Dh1.  "The total number of machines to change is 2,525. We can only do 150 machines a day, so will take around 17 days to finish it all." Residents in Karama and other areas have seen the fee increase in the past week. Mr Parham said the charges beyond the first hour's parking would remain the same.  Martin Nevill, 35, from the UK, an architect who works on Sheikh Zayed Road, said: "It is another cost in Dubai. From the moment you get into your car, you are paying for something. I don't mind paying a street parking fee and Dh1 an hour was a good fee but I don't know where the money is going because there are no new parking sites."

eharnan@thenational.ae