Two New Toll Gates Announced for Dubai Roads
Dubai's exclusive toll gate operator, Salik Company PJSC, has revealed plans to introduce two new toll gates to optimize traffic flow and alleviate congestion on key routes. The upcoming toll gates will be located at Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road. The decision to add these gates follows extensive traffic movement studies conducted by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The aim is to manage traffic distribution effectively, reduce congestion, and provide a smoother travel experience for motorists.
According to Salik, the new toll gates are expected to commence operations in November this year, bringing the total number of toll gates in Dubai from eight to ten. The existing gates are situated in Al Barsha, Al Garhoud Bridge, Al Maktoum Bridge, Al Mamzar South, Al Mamzar North, Al Safa, Airport Tunnel, and Jebel Ali.
When a vehicle passes through a Salik toll gate, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology detects the vehicle and scans the Salik sticker tag, automatically deducting a toll fee of Dh4 from the motorist's prepaid toll account. The new toll gates, like Al Mamzar North and South, will be interconnected, ensuring that motorists passing through two gates within an hour in the same direction are charged only once.
The RTA anticipates that the Business Bay Crossing gate will reduce traffic congestion by 12 to 15 percent on Al Khail Road and decrease traffic volume by 10 to 16 percent on Al Rabat Street. Additionally, it is expected to redistribute traffic to Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud bridges and Ras Al Khor Street. The Al Safa South gate aims to reduce right-turn traffic volume from Sheikh Zayed Road to Meydan Street by 15 percent and optimize traffic flow on Financial Centre, First Al Khail, and Al Asayel streets.
Salik CEO Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad highlighted that the addition of new toll gates aligns with the growth plan outlined during Salik's initial public offering. Established as a public joint-stock company in June 2022, Salik recorded around 539 million journeys through its toll gates in 2022, particularly on Sheikh Zayed Road, a vital arterial highway in the city. Al Haddad emphasized their commitment to supporting RTA's goals of optimizing travel time and easing traffic congestion.
In December 2023, Salik announced plans to operate the parking at Dubai Mall by the third quarter of 2024. With more than 13,000 parking spaces, the automated fee collection for ticketless parking will use the same technology employed for tracking tags by Salik, incorporating automatic number plate recognition and RFID technology. Charges for parking are yet to be defined by Emaar Malls, with fees deducted from the Salik user account.
The introduction of these new toll gates reflects Salik's ongoing efforts to contribute to Dubai's transport infrastructure and promote smart and sustainable mobility solutions, aligning with the city's Urban Plan 2040 for sustainable urban growth.
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By- Sahiba Suri
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