I wrote earlier that I received a parking fine for not having a parking ticket though I paid my parking dues through the sms option.

So before I left for vacation, I visited the Mawaqif (a division of Department of Transport that does the parking management in Abu Dhabi) Customer Service Center. I explained the issue to the customer service agent then I showed my ticket fine and the sms parking confirmation that I received in my phone.

After that, the agent asked me to complete and submit a complaint form along with the ticket fine. She then reviewed the details in the form and stamped my ticket fine to indicate that they received my complaint.

According to the agent, the feedback of my complaint will be advised after one to two months only through sms. Also, the discount of 25% (which one can avail if the fine is settled within 15 days from the date of issue) is still valid in case my complaint is rejected.

So, let us see…

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My colleague was calculating her approximate expenses for Ramadan. Confused, I asked what was the calculation all about. She was quite concerned because during Ramadan it means that she will shell out more money for the parking tickets.

Honestly, it really didn’t occur in my mind but she is right. The paid parking during Ramadan is from 9 am until 4 pm and from 10:30 pm until 2:30 am. Since our office ends at 3pm, it means that we have to pay 4 hours parking fee instead of the usual parking fee of 3 hours during the normal days.

If it is not Ramadan, the paid parking is from 8am to 9pm and since our office finishes at 6pm, we are paying only 3 hours. Oftentimes we go home at past six, so on average we are spending AED 4 for standard parking and AED 6 for premium parking for two hours.

Honestly, the amount is immaterial if it is calculated only on daily basis. However, end of the day when you sum up the parking fee expenditures, it is still a good amount of money.

Like my situation, I am spending an average of AED 9 per day for parking and that is only for the parking fee paid after office hours. Then on Saturdays as I do not have work I am paying AED 15 for the full day parking fee.

It means that I am shelling out an average of AED 240 per month and approximately AED 2,800 by end of the year.

See, after all it is not a bad amount, right? With that amount of AED 2,800, I can already purchase an airline ticket for Abu Dhabi – Manila – Abu Dhabi (except on high season like December).

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Photo Credit: www.realbollywood.com

I feel bad for this month because I received a total of AED 700 parking fines on numerous occasions. It is akin to throwing this amount for nothing. Honestly, it was my fault except for the latest fine of AED 200 last week. According to the ticket fine, I was penalized for not having a parking ticket.

Well, luckily I didn’t delete my sms because I knew that I paid my parking fee through my mobile for two hours before I parked my car. Gladly, the confirmation I received via sms was still in my phone. Imagine, I received the sms confirmation at 18:54 hrs and the ticket fine was made at 18:58 hrs.

So, I called the toll free number of Mawaqif (a division of Department of Transport that does the parking management in Abu Dhabi) to inquire on how to complain about my ticket fine. Unfortunately, the only way is to visit their customer service in any of the Mawaqif offices and to my dismay, I came to know that it will take one month to process any complaints.

I didn’t get the time to visit their office this week but for sure I will pass by next week. Let’s see what will happen.. I am really hoping that it is not one month process. That’s quite long, don’t you think so?

 While talking about the process of obtaining the driving license in Abu Dhabi, I was surprised to learn that she finished the theory class and actual driving lessons in two weeks. Indeed a very short time frame considering that it took me almost four months to complete it.

Curious, I asked her how it happened.

According to her, there is a “special service” section in Emirates Driving School wherein you pay for extra money to expedite the process. I took the theory class for four days while she did it in two days only, though of course, her daily classes were longer than mine.  

As for the driving lessons, she took the 5 lessons consecutively. Typically you have to finish first the lessons 1-3 before  you can book the lessons 4 & 5. So what happen, in between these bookings,  there will gap sometimes weeks or a month. It depends on the available slots.

Unlike to my client, she had the lessons consecutively hence she managed to finish everything in 2 weeks.

She came to know only about this option from the woman who sat beside her while waiting for her turn during the registration.

The Turquoise parking ticket machine. It accepts coins and the Mawaqif prepaid card.

I was running late already for my meeting but honestly, it didn’t bother me because the weather drove me to the edge of madness. Imagine, I was standing in the open parking space at past noon and in a scorching summer heat (I think more than 45°C) while donned in a business suit.  

As I walked back and forth looking for the machine, I could feel the blaze in my feet. It seemed my feet were set on fire and my black shoes didn’t help at all! I simply wanted to leave my car without that parking ticket and run fast to the nearest air-conditioned building but the thought of paying a fine of AED 200 held me back.  

Parking ticket

Then that time, I realized that it is about time to opt for the m-Mawaqif wherein you can pay the parking fee through your mobile phone. Mawaqif is the government sector that does the parking management in Abu Dhabi. Its advantage came to light to me this afternoon after I wasted my time searching for the nearest parking ticket machine under the blazing summer heat.  

I haven’t tried this option yet because I just bought recently a Mawaqif prepaid card of AED 50. It works like a debit card where you can easily slip the card in the machine and get a parking ticket. The prepaid card has been a great help for me because from then on, I do not worry for coins anymore.  

Prepaid parking card

By the way, the Mawaqif prepaid cards are now available in supermarkets though it is more expensive. I bought one in the supermarket and they marked it up for AED 3 more. According to cashier in the supermarket, it would cost me more to buy directly a prepaid card from the Mawaqif office considering the taxi fare and parking fee involved. Good sales pitch but he was right.  

I believe choosing m-Mawaqif is more beneficial. You see, sometimes I do not know if my meeting will really take time or not. Right now, to be on the safer side, I typically pay 2 hours parking fee to keep my sanity. I cannot interrupt my meeting and leave the client’s office  just to pay for another hour of parking because the time limit in my parking ticket will expire soon.  

Just to let you know, the fine is AED 200 for parking without parking ticket and AED 100 for exceeding the time limit in your parking ticket.  

With m-Mawaqif, I can avoid paying more hours for parking ticket because I can simply send sms to extend the time limit of my parking.  

Here are summary of the parking fees in Abu Dhabi.  

Premium Parking (Turquoise & White) is AED 3 per hour and the maximum stay is 4 hours.  

Standard Parking (Turquoise & Black) is AED 2 per hour and for a maximum stay of 24 hours (AED 15 for the whole day).  

The parking fee for areas painted with turquoise & black is AED 2 per hour.

Premium parking spaces are painted in turquoise and white. Parking fee is AED 3 per hour.

For more details about paid parking in Abu Dhabi, click here.

This used to be a congested parking area. You could hardly drive through because cars were parked on the sides and double parking in between.

Generally we do not care for any changes as long as it doesn’t affect us directly, right? Last time when the paid parking in Abu Dhabi was implemented, I was not bothered at all.

Well, I was not until I started to drive.

Nowadays I am always out of the office either driving or meeting clients. I spend more time on the road than in the office. So I felt the cost of the paid parking in Abu Dhabi. I may rant about it but in a way it makes me happy also because parking areas are now clear and empty.

As I mentioned in my earlier post (the saga I of paid parking), parking is a nightmare here in Abu Dhabi. It seems people here have mastered all the techniques to park their car. People used to park in the outer most lanes of the main roads or double parkings in the middle of parking spaces. Obstructive parking is quite common.

Yesterday I went to one of the busiest street in the heart of Abu Dhabi. Every time I have an appointment in this area, I worry because it will consume my time, energy and petrol. It takes time to find a parking space. So, I was stunned to come yesterday and see the clear and empty parking area. It used to be a swarmed with cars. Then I realized that this area is a paid parking now.

Well, that the only benefit I can think of about paid parking in Abu Dhabi. I can now park easily.

Photo Source: http://leebecker.wordpress.com/

Honestly, at the moment it does not bother me but since my new job obliges me to have a car, this can be a foreseen additional expenses. I am just quite lucky that my house is not located in the main streets of Abu Dhabi otherwise I really have to shell out significant amount of money. Imagine if you do not want to go out on weekends and public holidays, you are left with no option but to pay a parking fee of 24 hours or more.

According to the news, the fee will be AED 3 (USD 0.82) per hour in the main streets and AED 2 (USD 0.55) in other areas. The penalty will range from AED 200 (USD 54.80) to AED 1000 (USD 274). There is also an option for unlimited parking for residents who wants to use the designated paid parking areas and every residents are allowed only up to two permits for unlimited parking which will cost AED 800 (USD 219) for the first permit and the second will be AED 1200 (USD 329).

Parking here in Abu Dhabi is really a nightmare. It is evident when you visit the main streets as the streets are congested with cars parking on the sides and in between. One of my friend keeps whining that his “dating life” is always ruled by the availability of parking space in his building. Sometimes he needs to shorten his dinner date just to ensure that he will find parking space in the evening. Others will roam for half an hour or more just to look for parking space after office hours.

Indeed the implementation of paid parking in Abu Dhabi will somehow ease the parking problems. However, there is no doubt that the parking fee can really hurt the wallets of most car owners. Paying AED 800 for unlimited parking is not a joke.

Anyway, I still pursued my driving. My driving saga started in late November 2008. Being a neophyte with no knowledge at all in driving, my route was quite lengthy and financially draining.

Here are the guidelines you can refer if you wish to get a driving license in Abu Dhabi.

File Opening. You can open your file in the Traffic Police in Muroor district or in Emirates Driving School (the only legitimate driving school in Abu Dhabi) in Musaffa. The required documents will include passport copy with the visa stamp, passport picture and one Arabic letter from your company which you can always ask from your HR Office.

Then there will be an eye test also. Don’t worry because this service is available in the Traffic Police in Muroor. Once you finish the registration, you need to enroll for the theory class.  Regardless of your driving skill level, this four days theory class is mandatory when obtaining a driving license in Abu Dhabi. It is followed by a written exam on the fifth day though the written exam is given only every Wednesday in Muroor area.

This entire process (file opening, eye test, theory class) will cost between AED 800 – AED 1,000.

After you pass the written exam, the next step is to go to Emirates Driving Company in Musaffa which is 20-30 minutes drive from the city proper.

Actual Driving Class. If you are a beginner, you need to enroll for the actual driving class that is consisting of five lessons. It is given in two sets, lessons 1-3 and lessons 4-5. Schedule for the classes are stretched from morning to late in the evening.

Lessons 1-3 will take you around one week to complete and lessons 4-5 for 10 days. Basically you will have a one-to-one session with the instructor. Your classroom will be the driving yard of Emirates Driving Company.

Emirates Driving Company

The schedule of your classes will depend on the availability. In my case, I passed my written exam in end of November but the earliest available for the actual driving class was on January only. There was more than a month gap from my theory class and actual driving lessons 1-3. The same scenario when you will get a schedule for lessons 4-5.

If you are flexible with the time, then the interim will not be long. As for me, I could only take evening classes, which I believed the most sought after schedule, because I have a fulltime job.

The fee for the actual driving class was between AED 2,200 – AED 2,400. This covers the entire lessons from one to five.

Because Mussaffa is far from the city proper, the taxi fare is quite expensive. I had to shell out between AED 35 – AED 50 per way for the taxi fare to Mussaffa for my daily driving lessons.

Parking Test. Parking test is scheduled only after you finish the entire driving lessons. That’s why you need to remember your lesson 3 because this will be the parking test. Fortunately, they offer refresher class for lesson 3.

Before you get a schedule for parking test, make sure you are scheduled for refresher class. This will give you better chance of passing the parking test.

Driving Yard of Emirates Driving Company

Green I.D. Card. After you pass the parking test, the Traffic Police will issue you a green ID card. It is a temporary driving card which will allow you to contract driving instructors. During your driving class in Emirates Driving School, you are driving only in the vicinity of the school. When you contract a driving instructor, you will be driving in the real road with his guidance.

There is no required number of hours. You have to personally gauge your capability. If you think you are already confident to drive alone, then you can proceed with the road test.

The driving instructor charges between AED50 – AED70 per one hour lesson however most of them take only a minimum of two hours. The instructor will pick and drop you off unfortunately this is already counted. It means for the two hours lesson, your actual driving class is only one hour and thirty minutes because fifteen minutes will count for your pick-up and another fifteen minutes for your drop off.

Road Test. Be early during your schedule for road test. Bring your appointment sheet, green card or temporary Driving ID, passport copy and AED 200.  There will be two police, one seated in front and the other at the back, in the car.

When the policeman returns to you the green card, it means you didn’t pass. If the policeman hands you the appointment sheet, it means you pass.

After you pass, you have to go back to the Traffic Police, pay AED 200 and give the appointment sheet and passport copy. They will take you a photo and after 10-15 minutes, viola! You have your driver’s license.  

Advance Level. If you know how to drive or have a driver’s license back home, you can skip the driving classes. Simply take a schedule for road test. If you pass, then you will instantly get your driver’s license. If you don’t pass, you need to take the driving lessons in Musaffa.

However, driver’s license from Australia, New Zealand, United States of America, Canada, UK and most of the European countries can transfer their current license to UAE license.

Personally, it was quite a long agony for me. Fortunately, I passed my road test and parking test in my first attempt.

Frugal Tips:

• Try to find a buddy when taking driving lessons in Mussaffa. It is cheaper to share the taxi bill with your buddy.  
• There is a shared taxi from Musaffa to Abu Dhabi. Taxi drivers charge for AED 5 per person however if you don’t want to share, make sure you haggle for the fare. The average fare should be AED 25-AED 40 varying on your drop off location.