In the UAE, particularly in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman, managing public parking comes with specific rules and considerations. Understanding renewal alerts, time limits, and grace periods is crucial for motorists.
If you’ve parked your car in these emirates, there’s no grace period for parking ticket renewal. Waiting too long might result in fines. However, utilizing online platforms or the mParking option offers advantages. Not only is it environmentally friendly, but you can renew your ticket up to 15 minutes before it expires, ensuring you don’t lose valuable parking time.
Parking authorities usually send alerts 15 minutes before the ticket expiry. Responding with a ‘Y’ for renewal extends the parking ticket for another hour beyond the original expiry time.
Local transportation authorities in the UAE have implemented grace periods for public parking, allowing brief moments for motorists to park before paying the parking tariffs. Here are the specifics for each emirate:
- Abu Dhabi: The Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) announced a 10-minute grace period in 2018. This grace period is still in effect, according to the ITC call centre.
- Dubai: Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) also provides a 10-minute grace period, allowing motorists to park before paying the parking fee.
- Sharjah: Sharjah allows a 10-minute grace period for motorists to pay for parking from the time they park. Payment options include parking meters, SMS Parking, or the Digital Sharjah app.
It’s important to note that, as of March 2023, sitting in a parked car in a public parking area in Sharjah does not exempt motorists from parking tariffs. If the driver is occupying the space, they must pay the fee, as clarified by Sharjah City Municipality (SCM).
In Ajman, the maximum time limit for paying public parking fees is 10 minutes, as per the Municipality and Planning Department (MPDA) call center. To extend your parking duration, prompt renewal through SMS parking or the MPDA app is necessary. Ajman Police, in 2019, urged motorists to avoid parking in undesignated areas. Surveillance camera captures won’t result in fines if vehicles move within three minutes, accommodating urgent needs like quick pharmacy stops without causing traffic disturbances.
