Dubai: A new access system that went live in several clusters of Nakheel’s sprawling International City are proving to be a bane rather than a boon.

The new security feature, launched by regulatory authority Trakhees earlier this year, is estimated to affect thousands, including residents, restaurant, laundry and grocery delivery boys. Most of them have spoken out in unison against the new restrictions.

Syrian Fadi Mohammad, a tenant in the Persia Cluster who owns a fast food joint in the adjoining France Cluster, is ill at ease with the new system on both counts. “I have yet to get an access card. It’s not my fault. My landlord hasn’t paid his service fees. It’s been a struggle to get into my apartment ever since this new system began a few days ago,” he says. “I am also at the receiving end as a service provider. My delivery boys end up spending more time as customers have to come down and open the doors to collect their orders,” he adds.

Another Syrian resident, Loy, says his neighbour had to wait for almost 20 minutes for someone to arrive before he could enter the building around midnight after work because there was no watchman on duty at that time. When checked, watchmen said they were letting in guests and delivery boys to avoid initial hiccups during their duty hours.

Indian Pankaj Kumar who owns a one-bedroom apartment in the England Cluster, says acquiring a card wasn’t easy at all. “I had to first pay my service fees and then go to the [Nakheel] head office in Al Sufouh with the title deed. I don’t understand why we couldn’t get it done from their office in Dragon Mart nearby,” he said.
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Source gulfnews.com