Finally!

In case you're wondering what this picture is about... it is the very empty parking area which went live today! This is what it normally looks like, though in the past, I've never taken a picture specifically to show how every bit of space is used; in fact, it was so chronic, some drivers felt it their absolute right to block you in double park as long as they left their contact details on their dashboard!!

So, the background to the car park looking the way it does is because at the end of May, our wonderful Roads & Transport Authority decided to double the rate for parking, and increase the charged hours, so we have gone from 2 dirhams an hour charged from 8am-1pm and again from 4pm-9pm, to 4 dirhams an hour charged from 8am-10pm!! This is called progress and giving people the best option to find a free parking bay.

The story continues... the blocks of flats we now live in have two parking areas on each side of the garden. No bays have ever been allocated to specific apartments, and it really was survival of the fittest. In recent months, we were told that because of the free parking, people from other buildings were using it, as were the businesses on ground level!!

Well, the management company of 4 of the buildings decided to finally tackle the problem and have rallied round to organise the parking by firstly, installing barriers so only residents who have applied and paid for the facility can access the bays. There is still no allocated parking; it is still first come, first served, but it is ONLY residents who can now access this area. I went to pick up my card and sticker after work, but the man had just popped out. Hmmm...

Check out the resurfaced lawn... doesn't it look amazing?

And before that, I had a very early start as G had to be taken to the airport for 7:15 to catch her flight. She is off on her hols! Super smooth going through the airport with boarding pass on her smart phone and the xray machines before check-in have finally been done away with! Raced home to pick my things up to get to work. Sundays are tough. Ugh!