Starting September 3, visitor parking at Uptown Motor City switches to a paid, ticketless system run by parking operator Parkonic, in partnership with property manager Edacom. Every apartment already comes with one or two complimentary parking spots, those aren’t going anywhere.
What’s Actually Changing From September 3
The change kicks in once you go beyond that allocation. Anyone parking extra vehicles or hosting visitors who overstay will face a Dh5-an-hour charge after a 15-minute grace period or the option of a longer-term membership, with full pricing details due to residents by September 1. The system runs on automatic number-plate recognition, so there are no physical tickets involved; cameras track and enforce it instead.
Residents’ own allocated spots remain free, based on title deeds and existing community arrangements, according to both Edacom and Parkonic.
Residents Are Pushing Back
The pushback isn’t really about the concept of managing visitor parking, it’s about how this specific plan was rolled out. As reported in The National, residents say they were told a share of the revenue would go towards offsetting service charges, but no cost-benefit breakdown or revenue projection was actually shared with them to back that up. Some residents say long-stay and abandoned vehicles hogging free spots for years is the real root issue, and that better enforcement of existing rules, not new fees, was the fix they wanted.
A few practical asks have come up too: limiting charges to daytime hours (8am–10pm) instead of round the clock, and waiving fees on weekends so residents aren’t effectively paying to have guests over at their own homes.
Also Read: Local Artists Transform More Than 100 Dubai Parking Meters Into Beautiful Art Pieces
What Edacom And Parkonic Say About It
For its part, Edacom says the goal is straightforward, keeping visitor spaces available for genuine visitors and retail customers while improving overall traffic flow and parking management across the community. The company says owners and residents were given a month’s notice specifically so they’d have time to understand the new system before it started.
Parkonic has confirmed that parking membership options for residents with additional vehicles are still being worked out, and Edacom has said it will monitor how the rollout goes and continue factoring in community feedback afterwards.
Whether that feedback translates into softened terms, shorter charging hours, weekend waivers remains to be seen. For now, the Dh5-an-hour clock starts ticking September 3.
Cover Image Courtesy: CanvaPro/ Mike Bird from Pexels
FAQs
Is Parkonic the same as Dubai's public Parkin app for street parking?
No, Parkonic is a private parking-management provider that works with residential communities and developments, while Parkin is the RTA-run system for Dubai's public on-street and multi-storey parking.
What if I own more vehicles than my apartment's free parking allowance?
You'll need to pay either the hourly visitor rate or opt into a longer-term membership for the extra vehicle.