ABU DHABI // Motorists struggling to fit their family-sized cars into parking spaces should familiarise themselves with their vehicle’s dimensions and consider taking more driving lessons, an expert says.
“It’s important for drivers to apply the skills they learnt from the driving school and trust their abilities when parking,” said Khaled Al Mansoori, chief executive of Emirates Driving Company.
Poor parking practices, such taking up two or more spaces, are a headache for many mall visitors.
On a recent Sunday morning, a Mitsubishi Pajero was hogging two spots and right next to it, a Nissan Patrol Platinum was parked over the yellow line in Marina Mall’s basement car park.
“They’re crazy,” said Abdul Rahman Al Harbi, 30, who managed to find an empty spot for his Range Rover Vogue SE near the Carrefour entrance. “They should learn how to park properly and not take up two parking spaces.”
He said there was no need to create larger parking bays for bigger vehicles.
Ahmed Sameh, 65, who drives a Hyundai H1 van, agreed, saying most SUVs could fit into most parking spaces.
“But some people want to leave enough space to prevent their cars from dents and scratches so they occupy two parking spaces,” he said. “Others don’t know how to park their SUVs properly.”
Drivers should move slowly into the chosen car park and when in the slot, open the door slightly to see if they are aligned with the markings, said Robert Hodges, chief operating officer at Emirates Driving Institute.
“If necessary, move slightly back out and then realign the wheels and reposition,” he said. “This is being considerate and takes just a few seconds more. It may also save your car’s door from being dented by adjacent drivers if you parked inconsiderately.”
There are about 4,600 basement parking bays at Marina Mall, according to security supervisor Babu Kaji Kafl.
Motorists who are taking up two spots are “either in a hurry, are lazy, want to avoid scratches or simply unable to park their cars correctly”, he said.
As a standard procedure, security staff patrolling the area are instructed to contact the control room if they notice cars parked poorly.
The control room calls the police and provides them with the car’s plate number.
“The police will call the driver or the car owner directly, and the driver usually moves his or her car after 15 to 20 minutes,” Mr Kafl said.
“We always ensure safety and easy access to the mall, especially on weekends.”
rruiz@thenational.ae
More on parking in the UAE:
■ Drivers of oversized vehicles are crowding out smaller cars in UAE
■ UAE developers are providing minimum parking space mandated
■ Drivers express frustration over poor parking in Abu Dhabi malls