Parking woes return to haunt employees in Dubai Media City

For a while it seemed as if the parking woes of Tecom areas had been settled. Sufficient parking space had been reserved through permits for daily visitors, such as employees or students, while the irregular visitor to the area had been met in his demands through more metered parking facilities.

However, as became clear recently, the perfect balance has not yet been found, with people still going around in circles looking for a parking spot.

Last year, a newly-developed parking scheme was implemented in Dubai Media City (DMC), Dubai Internet City (DIC) and Dubai Knowledge Village (DKV). Companies registered in these localities were allocated parking permits on quota, which were distributed among staff.

The main aim – securing sufficient parking options for those who work in the area – was initially met, and employees that had been granted a permit were satisfied with the now guaranteed spot in front of the office.

That convenience was lost for some of the staff a couple of weeks ago. “I now have to walk 10-15 minutes to reach office from where I parked,” said Kruti Shah, a permit holder in DMC.

Whereas she was previously guaranteed with a spot in one of the permit sections in front of her office, she now has reached out to Media One, because the section where she used to park no longer provides sufficient parking space.

Kruti is not the only one; her colleagues too have vented out to far-away parking slots. “When I arrive at 8.15 in the morning it is usually too late to find a parking spot in my section, so I have to park in the multi-storey garage, and take a shuttle bus from there to my office,” complains another employee in DMC, who prefers not to be named.

So, what happened?

Last month, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) in cooperation with Tecom Investments converted some of the permit-holder’s parking slots into metered parking spaces, based on the conclusion that the demand for parking permits seemed to be lower than expected, while the demand for visitor parking turned out to be higher.

Coupled with this, some of the parking space was completely closed off, according to permit holders. “One row has been converted in metered parking, another has been closed off. There is only one row remaining for permit holders, and this one is easily filled,” said the DMC employee.

“Some of the area has been closed for construction,” said Adel al Marzouki, Director of Parking at the RTA. As an alternative, people can park in the multi-story parking garage and take the shuttle bus to their offices. However, we are discussing the matter this week, in order to provide with more alternatives.”

In addition, al Marzouki pointed to the opening of Dubai Tram, which caters to some of the Tecom localities. We would like to encourage commuters to consider taking the tram. Upon renewal of the parking permit, it might be worth cancelling this right and taking the tram instead.”

Kruti, while pursuing her uncomfortable walk on high heels, utters her frustration with the latest change. “We are paying through our nose for the parking permit. In our company, staff pays half of the price for the parking space. That is Dh1,250 per year.

“If we had been told in advance that we would not be able to park in front of our building, I might not have opted for the parking permit and looked for an alternative instead,” said the other DMC employer. “When I agreed to pay for the permit, I did so under the impression there was ample parking available,” said the other DMC employer.

“Now I do not have a choice until the permit expires, which is not until end of May next year. Once I have completed the year, I will look for other options,” he added.

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.