Municipals plans to introduce vertical automated car parks in congested residential areas in Bahrain have been rejected, after a study showed they are too expensive to maintain.
A feasibility study was conducted into the comparison between the conventional car park and the vertical system for the new Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) car park, which is currently being built by Edamah, the government’s real estate and property arm.
The study showed that the technology was too expensive and that maintenance requirements were not practical.
It was ordered by Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister Essam Khalaf after he was pressured by the country’s three municipal councils and the Capital Trustees Board, despite initially rejecting the proposal in November last year.
Like a multi-storey parking garage, the system provides parking for cars on multiple levels stacked vertically to maximise the number of parking spaces while minimising land use.
It features an internal elevator which could lift cars to different levels to be parked.
“The findings showed that a conventional multi-storey car park will cost BD4 million to build with little or no maintenance required, while the smart car park will cost BD4.2m with BD31,000 needed for maintenance every year,” said Mr Khalaf.
“The maintenance cost will be 70 per cent cheaper under a conventional car parking system.”
The study also concluded that a conventional multi-storey car park building will be able to house at least eight shops while the smart system will not be able to accommodate any.
The minister also pointed out that parking tickets were dispensed through an automatic machine with one man required to collect the payments under the conventional system, while the smart system would require at least 17 employees to operate.
“Also, more power is needed to run the elevators and hangars in the smart car parking system,” he added.
Mr Khalaf said it was not feasible to introduce the automated system in residential areas under study, but added that it was possible at buildings belonging to government bodies, the Diplomatic Area and private establishments such as hospitals.
He also said that during meetings with the Bahrain Car Parks Company it was proposed that the firm wanted a 50-year contract to cover the costs.
“Having people pay for parking in residential areas would be like asking them to pay for parking meters, which is already seeing opposition,” he added.
However, the company has presented a model plan to the Muharraq Municipal Council to introduce the system at Suq Al Qaysariya, which was approved by councillors.
The government estimated the population had reached 1.5 million last year, up by 22 per cent from 1.23m in 2010 and by 126pc from 664,000 in 2000, according to the World Bank.
In March, the total number of licensed vehicles registered in Bahrain had reached 724,082, up from 695,707 a year earlier.
mohammed@gdn.com.bh
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