Today's Edition
KIRSTIN BERNABE (ABU DHABI)
Al Wahda Mall will start operating its new ticketless parking system by next week, the shopping centre’s management told Aletihad on Tuesday.
Shoppers were accustomed to getting paper parking tickets from machines upon entry, paying at kiosks inside the mall, and then reinserting the validated ticket at the exit point. However, this process has been temporarily suspended as Al Wahda Mall upgrades its parking facility into a smart, environment-friendly system that won’t require tickets or barriers.
Mayank Pal, General Manager of Al Wahda Mall, confirmed to Aletihad that they would start using an AI-powered park-and-go system “around next week”.
Equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, the system scans vehicles’ licence plates at entry and exit, calculating parking duration to determine fees. The vehicle number then serves as identification, replacing the old paper ticket format, said Sooraj Kp, Deputy General Manager at Al Wahda Mall.
Visitors can pay using a mobile application or by scanning a QR code displayed on signboards around the mall. Pay stations have also been installed, allowing motorists to view and settle parking fees simply by entering their vehicles’ plate number. Both cash and card payments are accepted. Additionally, mall staff will be present in the parking area to assist drivers and facilitate transactions.
Al Wahda Mall is one of two popular Abu Dhabi shopping centres set to implement a smart parking management system in the coming days. Dalma Mall will begin operating its Parkonic facility from July 25, as reported by Aletihad.
With the new system, Al Wahda Mall seeks to ease traffic movement at its parking lots, Pal said. “We are looking to have seamless entry and exit for our visitors and this new technology will be able to prevent delay, particularly at entry and exit points.”
The mall clarified that parking charges will remain unchanged. From 8am to 10am, the fee is Dh10 per hour. After 10am, parking is free for the first three hours; charges then apply as follows: Dh10 for three to four hours; Dh20 for four to five; Dh30 for five to six; Dh50 for six to seven; and Dh100 for over seven hours.
Shoppers can have their fees waived or receive additional free hours through parking validation, with no minimum spend required. To do so, visit the customer care kiosk at the mall or inside LuLu Hypermarket, present the receipt, and provide the vehicle plate number.
