Parking a car in some areas of the capital can be stressful. Day after day, motorists perform the same routine in congested neighbourhoods, often driving around for some time in search of an empty spot. To address this problem, the Department of Transport plans to expand the Mawaqif paid-parking scheme over the next three years. The news has been welcomed by residents, as The National reported, but some ask whether this effort will put an end to long-term parking problems.
The suspicion remains that even if an adequate number of car parks are built, it would not end all our frustrations. What would really alleviate this problem is a parking app.
Many new cars have assisted parking functions that will identify a suitable space and park a vehicle on behalf of the driver. A logical next step would be smart spaces that alert drivers to their availability. The end result would be far fewer drivers being driven to distraction by being unable to find a suitable spot.
