Parking barriers have been removed and replaced with sensors at Mall of the Emirates for the eventual implementation of 'barrierless parking'. The new paid parking system — announced in October last year — will also be implemented at two other malls in Dubai, including City Centre Deira, and City Centre Mirdif.
Developer Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) Properties and public parking operator Parkin PJSC have yet to announce when the 'barrierless parking' system will begin but it was earlier announced that it will be implemented from January 1 this year.
The barrierless parking system is expected to ease access for more than 20 million cars that these three malls record every year. Overall, these three shopping centres have a total of 21,000 parking spaces.
MAF Properties entered into a five-year contract with Parkin PJSC for the 'barrierless parking' system. Using the latter’s seamless parking technology, motorists will no longer have to stop and wait at barriers when entering or exiting mall parking lots.
Advanced cameras will automatically capture licence plates, tracking each vehicle’s progress and duration of stay.
As drivers enter the parking area, they will get an SMS or a Parkin app alert about the parking costs. Visitors will be able to use the app or Parkin's website to settle any charges.
Khalifa Bin Braik, CEO of Majid Al Futtaim Asset Management, also earlier told Khaleej Times that parking fees at the three malls will remain the same.
"Mall of the Emirates continues to be free for the first four hours. City Centre Deira continues to be free for the first three hours. If you stay beyond that and transact in one of our stores, you still have the option of validating your ticket and waiving off the fees," said Bin Braik
He also clarified that parking at City Centre Mirdif will remain free. “The main objective of the deal with Parkin is to better manage and regulate parking." The charges will remain as they are," he said.
This not the first barrierless parking system at a mall in Dubai. A similar system is already in place for paid parking services at some areas of Dubai Mall. The parking facility, however, is operated by Salik, and parking fees are automatically deducted from Salik user accounts.
