Road toll activated July 1st
The country’s first-ever road toll is due to be activated in Dubai on July 1st, covering a stretch of Sheikh Zayed Road. That’s the main artery, a freeway joining Dubai with Abu Dhabi which takes the heaviest traffic.
Because of high rents in Dubai very many people live in neighbouring Sharjah, or even further in Ajman & Umm Al Quwain, meaning that mornings and evenings the road is choked because they’re commuting.
There are two automatic tollgates, one near Mall of the Emirates in ‘New Dubai’, the other near Garhoud Bridge in Deira.
Vehicles travelling under the tollgates will have to display a sticker which the tollgate reads and AED4 is automatically deducted from the vehicle’s account. Be warned – another AED4 is charged when the vehicle leaves the freeway by passing under the tollgate at the other end of the tolled section of road. There is a maximum charge per vehicle of AED24 per day.
Hire cars must all be fitted with the stickers and visitors in the hire cars will be charged whatever they’ve racked up in tolls during the period of their hire.
Signs have been erected to show drivers where to leave the freeway to avoid the tollgates, so if you’re visiting Dubai and driving a rented car be aware that you could be in for an expensive surprise when you take the car back and pay the bill.
i don’t know whether to call it a blessing or bane, i had some bitter experience for the first two days of the enactment, i am working at DIC , luckily my residence is in proximity to DIC, but on 1st July it was very difficult for us to get a cab to our office. It took us 15-20 minutes to get a taxi. In the evening the situation was even worse, usually you can instantly catch a taxi within DIC at almost any time, but that it took us 30-45 minutes to finally get a taxi (infact we grabbed that at KV).People who have not gotten Salik stickers were avoiding the toll gates , hence increasing traffic pressure on side branches of the Shaik Zaiyd Road. the introduction of these toll gates , introduced sever traffic burden on Jumairah /Al-Sufoh road.
I think, it would be a lot better if RTA introduced it gradually. A period of 6 month would suffice.At first only stickers would introduced(first 2-3 months), and all new vehicles purchased during the duration would have this sticker alongwith other registeration requirement/insurance etc. Then minor fines would be introduced . I think it would better help the people to get accustomed to it.