60% of shoppers oppose mall parking fee plan - poll

Almost 60 percent of people do not want to pay for parking at Dubai’s shopping malls, an online survey has revealed.

Some 59 percent of people who took part in the spot poll by Arabian Business said they would change where they shopped as opposed to paying for car parking.

The results come after news that malls in Dubai may soon introduce parking fees to limit the number of Dubai Metro users leaving their cars in their car parks.

However, only 8.5 percent of people who responded to the poll said they would continue to shop at their favourite malls regardless of parking charges. Most people said they would go where it is free to park.

The poll results contradict comments made by the BurJuman mall’s managing director, who said the introduction of parking fees had increased sales for retailers.

The mall in Bur Dubai introduced car parking charges on June 2 last year to cut the number of office workers using it.

Eisa Adam said the move sparked a slight uptick in sales as housewives and other daytime shoppers had better access to parking.

According to the poll, even people who said they would still shop at malls which charged for parking, 13.4 percent said they would visit much less.

While 19.2 percent of people reserved judgement, saying it would depend on how much malls charged.

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READERS' COMMENTS

Parking Fee
Posted by Anil, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Saturday 12 September 2009 at 09:08 UAE time


This is not acceptable. This is aimed to increase the incomes through different ways. Now nobody is spending much more money for shopping. Most of the people are coming for time pass. In these days the mall management can't increase their rent. So they are finding new ways. In future they will start to charge (Mininmum AED.10 per person) for the use of Washrooms !!!

3 Hours free
Posted by Pete, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 29 July 2009 at 17:07 UAE time


Does that mean I can go park my car in MOE for 3 hours, use the metro, then come back and take my car without paying any parking fees? if that is the case than I think it is ok. I will always use MOE as my parking spot to use the metro, most of my trips will take less than 3 hours.

mall parking
Posted by Dachica on Thursday 23 July 2009 at 17:42 UAE time


I wouldn't agree that the parking fee in Burjuman increased sales. On the opposite it went down and i am telling you this from my personal experience as i was working there in a big brand.
but the very option of redeeming the money back if fine

bad design and planning
Posted by nasir on Thursday 23 July 2009 at 14:40 UAE time


thats what happens when u design a metro and a mall without proper parking

the badly planned areas of dubai marina, TECOM, media city are also an example

many buildings and no parking

how can we that stupid
we make large comunities with small exits and entry points
commecial buildings with parking not even suitable for residential use.

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