Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has set out procedures and controls to curb the parking of light and heavy trucks, along with their trailers, on road shoulders or non-designated spots.

This practice is hazardous to traffic movement and undermines road safety, the RTA said.

Last year, the authority issued 227 tickets to offenders, locked the wheels of 141 vehicles and impounded 190 others, said Eng. Maitha bin Udai, chief executive of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency.

“This phenomenon is quite rampant all over industrial areas of the emirate. Many companies illegally utilise lands and open areas to park their vehicles, whereas they are committed to provide designated parking spaces for those vehicles.”

It is prohibited in Dubai to park vehicles in a manner that obstructs traffic movement. The RTA has issued special permits for companies to streamline the parking of vehicles for loading and offloading, Udai said.

“Our objective is to align such processes with the international traffic safety standards adopted by RTA, maintain the safety of road users, and safeguard the appearance of Dubai.”

The RTA has so far constructed six resting stops for trucks and is in the process of building more along the Emirates Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, Dubai-Hatta Road, and Ras Al Khor Road. The purpose of building these stops is to prevent unauthorised parking on road shoulders.