Dubai Municipality has provided e-gates to playgrounds and pitches in residential neighborhoods across Dubai, accessible through smart cards, in an effort to enhance privacy and safety. Free smart cards will be distributed by the end of this month to the residents of 33 such areas, which included 23 children’s playgrounds and 10 sports grounds for football and basketball as well as modern types of games to suit all ages.
The move is in implementation of the directives of the Crown Prince of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to provide a decent life to the citizens and all the services needed to meet their requirements and needs. It is also part of Dubai Municipality’s keenness to implement its vision of building a happy and sustainable city, and its strategic goal of developing attractive recreational and public facilities.
Manal Obaid Bin Yaarouf, Director of Customers and Partners Relations Department said: “The Municipality is keen to provide the luxury of living for citizens and residents in the emirate, and to make them happy in various ways to achieve the desired goals of Dubai Vision 2021, confirming the Municipality’s tireless efforts to provide amenities for relaxation, recreation and enjoyment for citizens and residents in Dubai. The Municipality has translated the meaning of privacy by providing the play areas with e-gates, which will contribute to enhancing safety and privacy for the residents of the area.”
Bin Yaarouf added that in the first stage, smart cards will be distributed for six out of the 33 play areas. “Each family will get three exclusive free cards from Dubai Municipality to enter the play areas. While using the card, the gate will be open for 9 seconds so that more than one person can enter with a single card, as these gates will provide privacy for the use of the play areas. It will also enhance the safety and protection of children by not allowing the entry of strangers, and also help protect the property and assets of the play areas from tampering by strangers,” said Bin Yaarouf.
She explained that this measure was taken after the Municipality received many complaints from the residents that strangers are entering and using the squares and playgrounds and misusing the Municipality’s properties located inside, including children’s games, soccer fields and volleyball grounds, so, the Municipality decided to provide e-gates to protect the properties of the play areas and provide privacy for residents of the areas.
“These play areas, which contain various entertainment elements that serve all ages, are one of the most important recreational places for children and young people and their families and they are considered significant in urban planning to increase social ties between residents of neighborhoods. They are also configured to meet the requirements of the People of Determination and achieve all public safety standards that are one of the main goals in the areas’ design process,” said Bin Yaarouf.
“The Municipality was keen to choose children’s games with state-of-the-art quality that suit different ages and contribute to maintaining their health and raising their fitness levels, in addition to allocating a sandy area for light sand games. The elements and components of these play areas were chosen based on the best international specifications and standards such as the artificial grass and the technical materials used in the finishing of basketball court floors and accessories,” she said.