Has RTA got it wrong again?

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Has RTA got it wrong again?

Postby root on Sun Sep 21, 2008 3:21 pm

I had to read this article twice, and still could not figure out it would "encourage motorists to leave their cars at home" when they raise the parking fees.

From what I see, the worst parking problems are in the densely populated lower-income areas like Karama, Satwa and most parts of Deira. Over here paid parking is the only option at most times, which luckily is free at night. Now these guys make sure they take their cars out to work before the fee time starts in the morning. If they leave the car at home, it actually will cost them 1-2 Dhms an hour needing someone to constantly filling up every hour...or else its more expensive!

Parking at most work areas is on the other hand free..unless you work in Deira and your employer does not have their own parking area.

Parking rates will not deter traffic, neither will toll-gates...they just add to inflation. The only thing that'll deter traffic is a good alternative system, which I must admit RTA is making a lot of progress in. The bus services have dramatically improved, the bus stops are air-conditioned (wow!!) and the metro is on track!



RTA drive to ease congestion
http://www.business24-7.ae/Articles/200 ... 21bd4.aspx

The good news for drivers is that plans are being drawn up to tackle congestion on Dubai's roads… but the bad news is they could end up paying more to park their cars as a result.

The emirate's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is considering increasing hourly parking charges to encourage motorists to leave their cars at home and switch to public transport. And fines for parking offences are set to go up.

The proposal is contained in a masterplan by the authority's Parking Department. The charges have not changed since the paid parking system was introduced in 1996. The maximum fee is Dh2 per hour while in some areas only Dh1 is charged.

The Dh1 fee was intended for less congested areas but today some of the districts where it applies – such as Al Rigga, Al Rafa, and Karama – are among the busiest in Dubai. The parking masterplan addresses a number of issues concerning the current system and considers future needs. It will be implemented along with proposals by other RTA departments in a combined effort to reduce congestion drastically.

"We are exploring all the available options that may help us obtain our objective of smooth and safe transport," said Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dossari, CEO of the RTA's Public Transport Agency. "Among the issues on the table is increasing the current parking charges in the hope that this will deter people from using their private vehicles."

The RTA estimates that currently only seven per cent of the population use public transport while the rest use private means – a major cause of congestion.

The authority intends to increase public transport usage to 30 per cent in the next three years.

There are more than 600 vehicles per 1,000 people in Dubai according to official statistics, one of the highest vehicles per capita rates in the world.

"People in Dubai believe that owning a vehicle is a status symbol," said Al Dossari.

"That is why some families have more than one car, which is an unnecessary burden to the roads.

"We have to find ways of eliminating this burden."

Currently the maximum fine for a parking offence is Dh200 but this is likely to be doubled. When paid parking was introduced one of the main objectives was to reduce congestion, which was already starting to grow.

With more vehicles on the roads and the population increasing the available free parking has come under pressure. In another effort to discourage residents from using vehicles the RTA has been converting most of the prime car parks into paid areas, especially in busy parts of the city.

Last year the authority announced a Dh42 million project to convert 16,000 free parking slots in 22 different locations across Dubai into paid zones.

The number of paid parking slots has grown to 66,000 and is expected to increase further as more free spaces are converted.

The RTA earned more than Dh200m from parking, including fees and fines, in 2006 compared with Dh177m in 2005. The authority insists that the aim is not to make money but to regulate parking as a measure to reduce congestion. Some of the world's most congested cities such as Sofia in Bulgaria and New York have long embraced paid parking and have reported a positive impact on congestion levels.

In California the local government is considering introducing parking fees at offices and factories to deter employees from bringing their vehicles to work and embrace car pooling, a system that was recently officially sanctioned by the RTA.

A study by research group Transport Intelligence says appropriate parking price policies have a measurable impact on congestion.

"Free parking is the product of long-standing cultural attitudes, land use patterns and the availability of space," says the report.

"Consequently free parking contributes to congestion because it induces unintended consequences such as substantial increases in drive-alone rates.

"The proper pricing of municipally-controlled parking can help reduce congestion and also produce substantial revenue, which could be used to employ other congestion relief methods such as traffic demand management and transit."

Cities are beginning to have an integrated approach towards the reduction of traffic congestion on the roads. In Dubai, the RTA is planning to introduce more than 2,000 state-of-the-art public buses by 2011 in order to encourage people to use public transport.

However the authority is aware that increasing the number of buses alone will not produce the desired results and is inclined to control other facilities such as roads and parking to force people to abandon their vehicles. The number of Salik tollgates was last week increased from two to four.

The new gates on Al Maktoum Bridge and Sheikh Zayed Road near the third interchange are in addition to the existing ones at Al Garhoud Bridge and Al Barsha.
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Re: Has RTA got it wrong again?

Postby T.N.T on Sun Sep 21, 2008 9:07 pm

One more way to rip people off! Hats off to RTA!
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Re: Has RTA got it wrong again?

Postby WSF on Mon Sep 22, 2008 10:58 am

Lets hope after all, RTA gives us our Salik's money worth... Lets hope its worth it..
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