Dubai’s Discovery Gardens community has received a reprieve from paid parking enforcement following widespread technical difficulties with the Parkonic mobile application. The parking management company announced an extension of the registration deadline until 8pm on January 19th, 2026, after numerous residents reported persistent issues with vehicle registration and system synchronization.
The implementation of paid parking, originally scheduled to commence on January 15th, will now activate on January 19th. This decision comes after Dubai Holding Community Management had previously established December 24th, 2025, as the opening date for free permit applications and January 9th for paid subscriptions.
Residents expressed significant frustration with the technical shortcomings. D. Shah, one affected tenant, detailed problems including automatic removal of registered tenancies after app updates, inability to link vehicles to tenancies, and unresponsive customer support. Many worried about potential fines despite their efforts to comply with the new system.
Parkonic acknowledged the challenges, stating: “We understand the frustration and want to reassure you that cases where registration cannot be completed due to activation or system synchronization steps are being handled with consideration during this phase.” The company emphasized that residents need not resubmit information as support teams process cases sequentially.
The parking framework itself has sparked controversy regarding its pricing structure. Each residential unit without private parking receives one free permit, but additional vehicles require paid subscriptions costing 945 AED monthly or 2,625 AED quarterly. Visitor parking charges variable rates from 4-6 AED per hour, including Sundays—a point of contention among residents who note that parking is typically free on Sundays elsewhere in Dubai.
Many residents, particularly those in what they describe as a middle-income community, have labeled the fees for additional vehicles “alarmingly high” and “an unfair financial burden.” Mohammad Ahamd, a tenant, emphasized that second vehicles often represent necessity rather than luxury for managing work commitments and family responsibilities.
Despite these concerns, Parkonic clarified that pricing parameters and regulations were established through an approved framework with relevant stakeholders and authorities, not independently set by the company.
Interestingly, the new system has received support from some residents who have already noticed improved parking availability. Many reported that 30-40% of parking spaces became available within a single day of registration, suggesting that unauthorized parking by non-residents had been a significant problem.
Residents must provide title deeds, Ejari, and lease agreements to complete registration, with approval subject to document verification. Parking eligibility activation requires an authorized PIN received via email from Parkonic.