‘SALIK’ COMING SOON TO EASE ABU DHABI TRAFFIC
abu dhabi — The Abu Dhabi government will soon introduce a toll system that is expected to ease traffic on some of the most congested roads in the emirate. According to a decree issued by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Department of Transport (DoT) — Abu Dhabi’s transport regulatory body — will formulate the mechanism to implement the system.
The DoT will determine the roads on which the toll system will be applicable, its timings and fare, according to the decree. These recommendations will be based on the traffic conditions of the emirate’s roads.
The department will submit its recommendations to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council for approval.
The Law No. 17 of 2017 states that the DoT’s Integrated Transport Centre will monitor every vehicle that passes through the designated tolled areas. The mechanism for collecting the toll was not specified in the decree.
Ambulances, Armed Forces and Civil Defence vehicles, public buses and motorcycles will be exempted from the toll system. Those found guilty of evading the toll system could face up to Dh10,000 fine.
Traffic experts said road tolls in cities have to be seen in the context of traffic congestion.
“Traffic congestion is an inconvenience to road users. It increases the chances of misbehaviour of motorists,” said Thomas Edelmann, founder and managing director of Road Safety UAE.
“Road tolls can channel traffic from roads with heavy frequency to roads with less frequency, hence easing the overall flow of traffic. This is because a certain percentage of motorists would want to avoid toll,” Edelmann said.
Road tolls are a “fair way” to charge motorists for infrastructure use, he said.
abu dhabi — A traffic toll system will soon be introduced in Abu Dhabi to ease traffic on roads.
According to a decree issued by the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi’s Department of Transport (DoT) will be responsible for implementing the decree.
The department will determine areas to set up the toll gates, its timings and toll fees. The decree came into effect from December 31 last year, when it was published in the Official Gazette. The DoT will submit its recommendations to the Abu Dhabi Executive Council for approval.
Law No. 17 of 2017 states that the DoT’s Integrated Transport Centre’s toll system will monitor every vehicle that passes through the designated tolled areas. The DoT will collect the toll fees.
The fifth article of the decree states: “Car owners should register in the new toll system and follow the rules and regulations specified by the DoT prior to passing through the tolled areas.”
Ambulances, Armed Forces and Civil Defence vehicles, public buses and motorcycles will be exempted from the toll system. The law points out that any other vehicle recommended for exemption by the DoT will not be charged tariff.
The law also prohibits evasion of the toll by concealing the licence plate or by any other means. The Integrated Transport Centre will refer such cases to the general command for necessary action.
If a person is found guilty of toll evasion, a fine not exceeding Dh10,000 will be imposed on the violator. The total fines should not exceed Dh25,000 one year after the first offence. The centre will be responsible to form a committee to handle toll violators.
Dubai introduced Salik in 2007
Dubai had implemented an automated toll collection system called Salik in 2007. The scheme, which means ‘clear and moving’ in Arabic, consists of seven toll gates set up around the city.
Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) designed Salik as a free-flowing system, so that you do not need to stop your car at any point on a Dubai highway and pay manually. Everything is done automatically — there are no toll booths, barriers or physical gates, so you drive straight through the toll gate at normal highway speed.
Before 2013, there was a maximum charge of Dh24 per day per car, but since 2013 there has been no limit on how much a vehicle can be charged for passing through Salik per day. So, if you go through 10 gates in a single day, expect to be charged Dh40.