The opening of new Salik gates in Dubai has been captured in pictures shared by motorists. The two new toll gates are set to increase the total number of Salik gates in Dubai from eight to ten and will be located at Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road, and Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road. Salik Company PJSC, the toll gate operator in Dubai, revealed in its half-year financial report that the new gates are expected to be operational by the end of November this year.
The photos shared show the installation of the gates, including the RFID technology that will scan the vehicles and detect the Salik sticker tags on the cars. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced earlier this year that the new Salik gates are aimed at optimizing traffic flow and reducing congestion on key routes within Dubai. The locations for the new gates were selected based on traffic movement studies to reroute traffic to alternative routes with greater capacity, thus facilitating smoother travel for all motorists in Dubai.
The new Salik gates are expected to reduce traffic congestion on key Dubai routes by up to 42%. The Business Bay Crossing Salik gate is set to reroute traffic from Jebel Ali to other roads, alleviate congestion on Al Khail Road, reduce traffic volumes on certain streets, and cut travel time significantly. Similarly, the Al Safa South Salik gate is projected to reduce traffic turning onto certain streets, reduce traffic volumes on specific roads, and optimize the use of other streets by a certain percentage.
Currently, there are eight operational Salik gates in Dubai, with a toll fee of Dh4 automatically deducted each time a vehicle passes through a gate. Failure to maintain a sufficient balance in the toll account or passing through without a valid tag results in penalties. The revenue generated from Salik toll gates has been increasing, with over 238.5 million trips passing through the gates in the first half of this year, resulting in Dh1.1 billion in revenue, up by 5.6% from the same period last year.
In Abu Dhabi, the road toll system known as Darb was introduced in January 2021. Motorists passing through main bridges leading to the capital city are charged Dh4 for each journey during peak hours, but no charges apply during non-peak hours on weekdays and on Sundays and public holidays. Salik gates in Dubai, on the other hand, are chargeable 24 hours daily except in Al Maktoum, where passing is free on Sundays and during specific night hours on weekdays. The road toll systems aim to optimize traffic flow, reduce congestion, and generate revenue for infrastructure development.
