Are parking and the Darb Toll still free in Abu Dhabi on Fridays?

And an update on those public transport timetables…

With the announcement last month about changes to the UAE working week structure, that is the new Monday to Friday schedule (with a half-day for the public sector on Friday), many residents have been wondering whether that means the suspension of charges for parking and road tolls which traditional were offered on Fridays, would be moved to a Saturday.

And what about public transport? Have their timetables been migrated? We have the answer below.

Mawaqif parking charges

Parking in Mawaqif bays in Abu Dhabi will stay free on a Friday (and public holidays), and remain chargeable for the rest of the week (including Saturday and Sunday).

To pay for your parking by SMS please see our guide on exactly how to do just that.

Darb Toll

Similarly, the Darb Toll will also retain its Sunday to Thursday charging window (free on Friday and public holidays) at peak times. Tolls will be collected between 7am and 9am and from 5pm to 7pm.

Darb Tolls are collected on four major bridges: Sheikh Zayed, Sheikh Khalifa, Al Maqtaa and Mussafah. A map of the precise locations can be found on the darb.itc.gov.ae itself.

For all other times, including Fridays and public holidays, it will be free to pass through the toll gates.

There will be a maximum daily toll charge of Dhs16 per vehicle, and a monthly cap of Dhs200.

You can set up your Darb account on the darb.itc.gov.ae website or via the Darb app. There’s an initial charge of Dhs100 with Dhs50 returned as credit.

Violators who don’t comply with the rules may face fines of up to Dhs10,000.

Cause to celebrate

So if you’re using a car to commute to work, it’s likely your weekly bill just got cheaper.

Public Transport

Buses and ferries will operate according to their unified schedule which can be found on the itc.gov.ae website.

Happiness Centres

The new operational hours for Government Happiness Centres are Monday to Thursday 7am to 3pm, and between 7am and midday on Friday. They will be closed over the new Saturday to Sunday weekend.

Handy Helplines

DMT Service Support Centre: (800) 850

Taxi Service Call Centre: (600) 53 53 53

For the latest updates on NYE rules and regulations check out our article on the Department of Culture and Tourism — Abu Dhabi (DCT) announcement. Fireworks not your bag? We have a whole round up of other activities on offer too.

Images: Unspalsh