With the commencement of the festive season of Eid Al Fitr, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) of Dubai had some good news to share. It announced that all of the paid parking zones across the city will be free to use, beginning from June 2 to June 6. This allows motorists to park their vehicles free of cost in any of the paid parking zones for a total period of six days (including Thursday, June 7). However, the RTA mentioned usage of all of the multi-storey car parks throughout the city will still be chargeable.
Meanwhile, other emirates such as Abu Dhabi and Ajman are also offering free parking across all public parking zones. In the nation's capital, authorities announced that all surface parking spots will be free to use up until Saturday, June 8. However, the city's usual residential parking system will still be in effect during the holidays. For motorists in the northern emirate of Ajman, the Municipality and Planning Department announced that parking spots all over the city shall be free during this Eid Al Fitr holidays.
Furthermore, police forces of Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah had also rolled out a special treatment for motorists during the first couple of days of Eid. Motorists in these two Emirates won't be fined nor will they accumulate any black points for any of the minor traffic offences they commit. Instead, upon getting caught, the Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah Police would hand over educational leaflets. Of course, the police did mention that this leeway would only apply to those drivers who are caught by police officers. In the meantime, those who jump red lights or go over the posted speed limits would get caught and fined by radars and speed cameras.
During the prolonged Eid Al Fitr holidays, police forces in Ajman and Sharjah announced that they will be conducting more patrols. The decision was made in order to maintain safety and to ensure that all traffic laws are being followed as they should. For this purpose, police from the two northern emirates have employed over 100 patrols - around 70 in Sharjah and approximately 40 in Ajman. The vast majority of the patrols will be deployed around high-traffic areas such as residential zones, shopping centres, mosques and Eid Musalas.
Brig General Abullah Mubarak bin Amer, Deputy Police Chief, Sharjah, said that the extra patrols that have been dispatched will help in reducing traffic jams and bottlenecks, thus allowing for a smooth flow of traffic during the holiday season. The police will also be keeping an eye on unauthorised parking, especially around mosques and Musalas so as to prevent traffic blockades.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Saif Abdullah Al Falasi, Director of Traffic and Patrols Department of Ajman Police, highlighted the importance of the additional, around the clock patrols in the city. While much of the patrols will be directed towards high-density areas, the primary objective will be to ensure the utmost safety of motorists and pedestrians. Al Falasi also pointed out that police officers will be stationed in various locations throughout the emirate to deter drivers from committing traffic violations. The Lieutenant Colonel explicitly appealed to all motorists to follow all of the traffic laws, urging them to not drive over the speed limit and to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles on the road.
There's a reason why authorities become more aware and strict during long holiday seasons such as Eid Al Fitr. While a vast majority of people prefer to stay indoors with their families or friends, the relatively empty roads bring out street racers and leads to a rise in reckless driving.