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29 March 2024

Speeding and static cars - bane of Al Reef

Published
By Sneha May Francis

Residents of Al Reef community, located on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, are troubled by speeding cars and flawed parking, forcing many to take to social media networks to voice their displeasure.

They have also raised their concerns to the building developer Manazel, but maintains that action is awaited.

Talking to Emirates24|7, a resident of Downtown Al Reef, who wished to be anonymous, said that there have been numerous instances when they were unable to take their car out because they were locked in.

“It’s annoying how some drivers park cars without checking if they are blocking the entry/exit for other cars. It’s just common sense,” she added. “This issue is more prominent in downtown.”

There are also blatant disregard for rules, where some drivers even park their vehicles in front of emergency exits. “There are a few cars that have accumulated dust as they haven’t been taken out for long periods of time.”

The Al Reef community page on Facebook is loaded with similar stories or complaints, where residents are reporting offenders and voicing genuine concern over their own safety.

“Clamp down the offenders and charge them Dh600 to remove it. This works all the time in the UK,” posted another resident.

Images posted clearly show how even school buses are forced to swerve dangerously to avoid hitting parked cars.

Another resident felt the situation will clear up “once the underground parking opens”.

Others felt that merely complaining to the developer might not yield any result, and it should be forwarded to the police or the municipality, who might be in a better position to take action.

“Penalising offenders will definitely work,” suggested a resident Sheetal (name changed).

Even, speeding cars are a huge problem. The speed limit within the gated community is 25km/hour, but seldom followed by residents. One resident reported a minor accident early September on the Facebook page, where a child was allegedly hit by a speeding car. “Five seconds you will save getting home early is not worth hurting someone or yourself,” the post read.

Emirates24|7 contacted Manazel to seek a response to the issue, for which an official requested time. However, more than a week and several follow-up calls later, no clarification or statement had been received at the time of publishing this article.