Picture used for illustrative purpose only.

Car owners and drivers can pay fees for public parking lots designated for cars in various areas across the UAE in 5 ways, according to the digital government (DGOV).

The DGOV added that public parking lots are usually located in residential and commercial buildings, shopping centres, government bodies’ buildings, and others, noting that some of them can be used free of charge, while the use of parking lots in cities requires paying certain fees which differ according to each emirate and the parking period.

People of determination can obtain a permit which enables them to use the public parking lots for free, added the DGOV, indicating that parking fees can be paid in five ways including: cash, with prepaid parking cards, with credit cards, through SMS messages, or through the UAE government's smart transportation apps.

There is explanatory information on how fees are calculated according to the parking period, along with payment instructions at each device of paying parking fees, the DGOV pointed out, adding that fines and violations may be imposed in case of violating the instructions of using public parking.

Charging the balance of the financial portfolio is among the electronic services for public parking which can be obtained through the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC) in Abu Dhabi, the DGOV said.

It is also possible to renew or purchase a seasonal parking card through the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), according to the DGOV.

Car owners and rivers can get prepaid and rechargeable parking cards, information about parking areas, timings, fees and fines in various emirates, from these places: In Abu Dhabi, the parking system (ITC), and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) or through the smart parking app.

In Sharjah, these services are available at the Public Parking Department at the Sharjah City Municipality, while they are available at the Municipality and Planning Department of Ajman, where it is possible to issue a parking card or request a parking reservation, said the DGOV, pointing out that the services are available also on the smart application on mobile phones.

The DGOV clarified that there are 6 steps to electronically pay parking fees through the service available on the smart phone app "Darb" of the ITC in Abu Dhabi. These steps start with clicking on "Pay parking fees", then selecting the vehicle from the list (a new vehicle can be added), followed by determining the type of parking according to the type of platform (Main or Secondary), then specifying the parking period, followed by paying the fees, which are deducted from the balance of the electronic wallet associated with the vehicle, after which the system displays the validity period of the ticket with the possibility of renewing it for one hour.