DUBAI // Managements of shopping malls are exploring how to prevent their car parks becoming park-and-ride facilities for Dubai Metro passengers once the train line opens.
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Mall of the Emirates will have an air-conditioned walkway direct to its station and management are already looking at ways to deter motorists from simply coming to the mall to park.“The majority of people spend about three hours in the mall, and we care for the majority of people and don’t want our car park to be used as a park-and-ride,” said Fuad Sharaf, the mall’s vice president.
“At the end of the day the mall is made for the shoppers. It is about managing the parking in a proper way. I will not say it is a paid parking system, because our intention is not to make money out of parking.”The mall is adding 750 car park spaces to its current 6,300. By the end of the year, 200 spaces will have been added, with the rest coming next year.Deira City Centre, which is run by the Majid al Futtaim Group, which also operates Mall of the Emirates, is expecting an increase of foot traffic after the Metro launches. Officials there said that the mall was considering “various options” to manage parking, but that nothing had been decided.
Management at the Burjuman has already created a pre-emptive plan to keep parking free for its customers. Last year, the mall introduced paid parking except on Fridays and public holidays. It is also free for customers who spend more than Dh100 at the mall. “Especially where we are, the Burjuman will be the one of the biggest stations, with both lines crossing eventually, and we almost anticipate this is going to be the Piccadilly Circus of Dubai,” said Bruce Von Kaufmann, operations manager of Burjuman and Reef Mall.
Parking at the Burjuman costs Dh10 per hour and is free between 12:30 and 2:30pm, and after 6pm. “We will let the Metro open, gauge the impact and then make the necessary adjustments if any adjustments are required,” Mr Von Kaufmann said.
Thanks for saying --although in a circumventive way-- what we've been trying to say all along; that the car parks at the respective stations are inadequate in numbers. Otherwise, why are malls expecting they'll be flooded with Metro commuters who will want to park at their lots? other question is, those who will be deterred from parking at the Malls to ride to the Metro; will they have any other options? will they eventually just give up and drive? You know, the RTA has been saying it will put new buses to serivce on new routes, so I tried to see if these routes has been decided upon and if there's a map on the RTA's website. But the Rail Agency is currently busy narrating its success stories of tendering the retail spaces at the Metro stations (hooray! recession be damned!) It's still early to draw any conclusions or to pass judgements though. But the pre-emptive measures the Malls are trying to take are really telling. MOE management think average visitors stay up to 3 hours in the Mall. I wonder if there are real statistics to back this up. I do go to the Mall of the Emirates everyday on my launch break, and no Sir it's not 3 hours. I can stretch it up to 2 hours (which happens often), because the Bosses are lenient, but I can't spend 3 hours just to prove I'm not a Park&Ride trespasser. I predict they will eventually end up making it paid parking. Alas. I remember when the Burjuman intersection was boarded up and the roads in and around it were diverted on 5th of May 2005, I remember the day well because that was the day the construction on the Metro had really began, and I remember it because life has never been the same since in Bur Dubai. And here too I expect a drastic change to Mall dynamics once the driveless train starts accepting passengers onboard. We could always hope it's change for the better.
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*The title of the original article is: Malls braced for Metro riders
8 comments:
ultimately, I predict all mall parking lots will be paid. Dubai mall is already equipped with access control. Its just a matter of time.
Mory, I noticed the access control and barriers At the Dubai Mall and was a little surprised. How are they going to manage the sheer number of cars at each exit? the volume is massive. They'd probably have to do it, though, once all the buildings around the mall are functioning. Damn.
Dubai Marina Mall already has the system in place to charge for parking too.
People using mall parking was an obvious potential problem caused by the fact that there's no parking at Metro staions other than the big car parks at the ends of the line.
Experience all over the world shows that plenty of parking, ideally free, is needed for rail systems to work effectively outside the city centres.
The RTA has ignored this evidence and naively expects people to use the bus links. We're going to walk to the nearest bus stop, wait for the bus, travel slowly on it to the Metro station, take the slow roller-coaster Metro onwards. No we're not, it'll be quicker and much more convenient to drive our cars, so that's what we'll do.
The Metro is a great idea, but they didn't plan it properly.
Seabee,
Yes sir, that's what we'll do.
I think the Metro will be a good idea for the tourists; who could hop from a mall to mall with ease.
You could also rely on RTA to maintain a neat taxi lines at the stations. But let's not forget that the minimum fare is now set at 10 DH a ride.
So unless they triple salik charges, I guess it'd still be more feasible to travel by car.
Every time I look at the areas surrounding the stations, I ask where in EF's name will people park?
I am sure that IF they make parking lots, they will have a one lane in one lane out thing. Imagine the chaos at Sahara Center!
I think mory's predictions will come true but that will not stop people from parking there whether they're going shopping or not.
Like I told my friend, in the one or so hours it will take me to get into a parking and/or find a parking spot I would have reached if I have driven there.
A friend of mine told me that they noticed access control equipment being installed at Mall of the Emirates over the weekend. Which means no more coffee breaks or going to the movies at MoE, if they follow Burjuman's strategy of 100 dhs minimum spend at the mall to waive parking charges.
KJ,
We will have to wait and see but I’m having a hunch; RTA made the mistake of approaching metro passengers with the same mentality they used for bus passengers. With all due respect to everybody no matter what their rides are, people who drive their own cars have better alternatives and so they need more incentives …
Lujayn,
That's not a very good news. Not good at all. I guess i will have to ride the metro to the mall for my lunch break. Only thing I need to figure out now is how to get from here to the station. (will probably drive)
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