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Malls begin charging parking fees from today

Staff Report

Published: October 03, 2009, 22:52

Dubai: Mall of the Emirates and the Deira City Centre, two of Dubai's leading shopping malls which are attached to the Dubai Metro stations, will start charging for car parking beginning on Sunday.

However, the malls' management has adopted a relaxed approach to benefit mall visitors.

As part of the new scheme, parking will be free all day on Fridays, Saturdays and public holidays while the first four hours of parking will be free on weekdays.

Earlier, only three hours were free and there were no free days.

The parking management system was introduced by the malls in conjunction with the launch of the Metro in order to maintain a balance between giving their customers easy access to parking and deterring park and ride Metro users.

Shahram Shamsi, Senior Vice-President of Shopping Malls at Majid Al Futtaim Properties, said that the impact of the first few days of the Metro has been very encouraging for both malls and a sign that it will become the future backbone of transportation in the city.

http://www.gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_ ... 54461.html

I for one am curious to see what the impact will be?

My take is that the marginal utility of going to malls will decrease which will result in less footfall.
So I'd expect this parking thingy to be only temporary.

From a macro (governments) perspective I guess it's a call between less retail spending v/s increased revenues from transportation systems.

I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

Misery Called Life wrote:I for one am curious to see what the impact will be?

My take is that the marginal utility of going to malls will decrease which will result in less footfall.
So I'd expect this parking thingy to be only temporary.

From a macro (governments) perspective I guess it's a call between less retail spending v/s increased revenues from transportation systems.

well, I don't know how much this fee for parking is. but I don't hink people won't do shopping cause of paying for parkings. it may has a short term effect. at first weeks, decrease in number of shoppers, but then society will get used to it.

Bora Bora wrote:I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

So, are they going to make prices down? so i can do lots of shoppings when I got there?

melika969 wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

So, are they going to make prices down? so i can do lots of shoppings when I got there?

You can probably find bargains at all the malls. Consumer shopping is down.

Bora Bora wrote:I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

I cannot say the same about Deira City Centre amd the Mall of the Emirates but the thing that hit me a lot was attitude to me as a tourist each time I visit City Centre. Staff on exit has always tried to divert me to the taxi stand for a half a year. It looks like there are almost no Caucasians except tourists in Dubai (at least in Deira ) nowadays.

It's expensive, I think it's something like 20 Dhs an hour, per hour after the free time.

Four hours in a mall is fine for shopping, but if for example you go to Ski Dubai, you'd spend around 2-3 hours there, then maybe dinner/drinks afterwards, or a movie. That free time is not going to be enough.

I think it'll have a major effect on the mall footfall.

melika969 wrote:

Misery Called Life wrote:I for one am curious to see what the impact will be?

My take is that the marginal utility of going to malls will decrease which will result in less footfall.
So I'd expect this parking thingy to be only temporary.

From a macro (governments) perspective I guess it's a call between less retail spending v/s increased revenues from transportation systems.

well, I don't know how much this fee for parking is. but I don't hink people won't do shopping cause of paying for parkings. it may has a short term effect. at first weeks, decrease in number of shoppers, but then society will get used to it.

The malls over here are not merely for shopping. They are these collosial structures that offer so much more than just a shopping experiance. As such with a parking fee, people are bound to make fewer visits.
Yaa in the long run the metro connectivity to the MOE may help, I guess only time will tell. Infact who knows, once all the lines are opened metro connectivity may actually result in increased footfall in some of these malls.

Are people here comfortable with the idea of catching a train to to their shopping?

I thought you weren't allowed to actually take your shopping on the metro! That was an original bone of contention!

Chocoholic wrote:I thought you weren't allowed to actually take your shopping on the metro! That was an original bone of contention!

I wonder if they allow Carrefour trolleys pass through the metro

Bora Bora wrote:I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

Do they have a paid parking policy also?, great Mall if you like walking.

sage & onion wrote:

Bora Bora wrote:I was at Ibn Battuta last week and when I say it was empty - it was empty!! You could hear the sound of your footsteps while walking, and this was in the afternoon - after school let out.

Do they have a paid parking policy also?, great Mall if you like walking.

GN article said only two malls are starting the paid parking policy (Deira City Center and Mall of Emirates), being attached to the Metro stations. I believe also Burjuman charges for parking (but for other reasons).

I think the reason for this is to discourage Metro users from parking their cars all day at the mall, hence the all day weekend free parking.

However, parking for the first 4 hours (and weekends), at these two malls, will be free.