Dubai Marina residents clarify viral claims about facial ID access
Residents of the Marina Crown tower have lately expressed conflicting opinions on a newly installed face-scanning entrance system run by the administration on social media. Introduced to regulate access and lower illegal occupation, the measure has generated discussion; some residents are annoyed by being locked out of their flats while others appreciate the system.
An Instagram user who has since deleted his account last week reported about inhabitants supposedly being trapped outside the tower for seven hours. The post claims that the problem resulted from landlords, property owners, and the facilities management staff not knowing exactly about the new access criteria. Other people were quick to point out, meanwhile, that enough of notice had been given on the system well in advance.
The decision to implement the facial recognition technology was made by the administration more than a year ago, as Roxana, a resident and owner of the building, explained. The goal of the new strategy was to make access easier, especially for cars coming up to the parking lot. Just over a year ago, the administration instituted a new system that allowed residents to park their cars in the lot without using an access card. The idea was that each apartment would be associated with a single automobile. Additionally, she brought up the fact that the face-scanning technology was supposed to launch in May, but it was pushed back to November so that both owners and tenants could have enough time to sign up.
Built by Emaar Properties in 2006, the 51-story Marina Crown tower features premium penthouses and flats. Stratum Owners Association Management oversees the common areas of the building; it has not commented on the matter despite demands.
Roxana, who has lived in the building for more than seven years, says overcrowding has been a major issue. She says that several properties have been illegally split, with some owners renting out several rooms within single residences to several people. "They have made illegal divisions and even added bathrooms and showers without appropriate drainage and waterproofing," Roxana stated. She says that a single tenant owns as many as forty apartments, each sublet to many persons and that some of the units have as many as ten occupants. Safety is especially important to her since some buildings lack basic fire safety elements like smoke detectors, which implies sprinklers won't turn on should a fire strike. "There is always risk involved in anything," she remarked.
The management formally revoked all current access cards in June and completely switched to facial recognition technology. Roxana enjoyed the change as her face scan gave her access to the building and its facilities, therefore avoiding the need to carry an access card. She did add, though, that some illegal inhabitants discovered means of bypassing the system by tailgating approved homeowners at points of access. The management responded by tying each registered face to certain floor, therefore limiting illegal access.
Another neighbor, A.B., backed the facial recognition technology as a sensible way to alleviate apartment sharing and manage congestion. "This system seems to be the best approach to manage unlawful apartment sharing," he stated. " lately the crowding was so awful it seemed like living in a college dorm once more. With any luck, this will help the building to regain some harmony.
The facial recognition access system at Marina Crown Tower draws attention to a typical difficulty in high-density residential buildings: juggling security and convenience with the necessity to control illegal occupation and crowding. Although some neighbors experience initial difficulties, many think the system will result in a more ordered, safer living space.