ABU DHABI // Illegally parked vehicles in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia will continue to be targeted and violators will be fined by police, who have concluded an intensive monthlong campaign aimed at curbing the problem. "Illegal parking wastes time, doesn't save it," was one of the slogans used by the Ministry of Interior (MoI). Thousands of pamphlets printed in Arabic, English and Urdu were handed out to motorists in areas such as the Tourist Club District in Abu Dhabi.
Brig Gen Obaid bin Alhiri al Kitbi, the deputy director general of the Abu Dhabi Police, said violations such as blocking in other cars in parking spaces, parking in front of fire hydrants, "impeding the work of the fire fighters in the case of an emergency", and "overriding the rights of others and especially those with special needs" would specifically be targeted. Drivers face being fined between Dh200 (US$54.45) and Dh500 plus have four black points added to their driving record.
In some cases, cars could be towed away and impounded. Those who block another person's car will be fined Dh300 while parking in the middle of the road will net a Dh500 fine, four black points and a towed car. Abu Dhabi Police have recorded 1,223 traffic violations in Al Gharbia, the western region, since the beginning of March, according to the MoI. While violations in Al Gharbia have included blocking ambulances, offences that have been blamed on everything from a lack of parking spots to road construction, said Maj Ahmad Abdullah al Ahsmasi, the chief of the western region police.
Meanwhile, the traffic department in Abu Dhabi reports that the congestion in parking has been the result of a large increase in the number of cars, combined with restricted parking spots in crowded parts of the city such as the Tourist Club district and Khalidiya. Bad driver behaviour was also listed as a factor. Brig Gen Kitbi thanked those who respected the law and said all measures - from fines and black points to impounding of cars - would be taken to overcome the crisis.
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