New alternative roads to open prior to Salik, RTA assures on the system's importance in reducing traffic

Dubai's road toll system will ease traffic flow in the city and encourages motorists to use the alternative roads and public transport, Engineer Maitha Bin Adai, CEO of the RTA's Roads and Traffic Agency, said today.
Salik - the new toll system - will begin as planned in July 2007, with initial tolling points at Al Garhoud Bridge and along Sheikh Zayed Road near the Mall of the Emirates, alongside with the opening of Dubai Al Abir crossing and the floating bridge, which connects Al Ittihad Road with Al Riyadh Street in Bur Dubai; and is expected to reduce the traffic at Al Maktoum Bridge.

'All lanes on Business Bay Bridge that reach to 13 lanes and the extension of the Emirates Road exits from 3 to 6 exits will be opened alongside with salik. The Floating Bridge alone is one of the major alternative roads planned to reduce the strain on Dubai's road network and its users,' Eng. Maitha said. 'The Floating Bridge has the capacity to absorb 6,000 cars during peak times and will reduce the traffic on Al Maktoum Bridge by 37 per cent.' The RTA, she added, will double the number of lanes to and from Dubai Creek to 38 exits this year, and will increase that number to 45 in 2008.

The RTA statement follows the launch of Salik's public awareness campaign aimed at motorists, to explain how to register for the service and make use of the new initiative and other information as the selling points where the cards are available, how to buy it and how to recharge the credit.

Eng. Bin Adai added that the public awareness campaign is aimed at motorists and will explain how to register for the service and make use of the new initiative and other information as the selling points where the cards are available, how to buy it and how to recharge the credit .'Dubai's toll system will be on par with international standards and is necessary as a result of heavy demand on the road infrastructure,' she said.


'Salik is one of several projects that the RTA is currently implementing to provide world-class roads and transport infrastructure in Dubai. The new service, which will be launched in July 2007, will further strengthen RTA's commitment to implement cutting-edge traffic management solutions that will contribute to the use of alternative routes, and decrease pollution levels by reducing the number of cars on the roads and driving time.'



Engineer Maitha said.

According to recent RTA studies, the Salik service will help reduce traffic by 25 per cent on the tolled roads. Motorists using the system do not have to pay the toll manually - the fee will be deducted electronically from windshield-mounted tags.
The agency has also launched its bilingual website, www.salik.ae, and a trilingual Salik Call Center to answer public queries about Dubai's forthcoming toll system. The 800-SALIK (72545) call center will provide all necessary information related to the new system in Arabic, English and Urdu, as part of the RTA's thrust to communicate with the public and spread awareness of the new service.

The Salik.ae website is primarily an educational tool, to provide members of the public with a thorough understanding of the system, its operation and its benefits. The site will eventually explain how to register for the service, where to buy the sensor cards and recharge credit, and will also explain the RTA's long-term goals for this service.

Dubai: Motorists passing through toll gates without Salik tags will be able to have their fines waived if they register for the system within two days of the offence, said a senior official.

The first phase of Dubai's road toll system called Salik will be in place from July 1 this year.

"Registration for the Salik system will start in the first week of June when the Salik tags will go on sale all around Dubai," said Maitha Obaid Bin Udai, Chief Executive Officer of the Traffic and Roads Agency at the Dubai Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA).

She told Gulf News yesterday that motorists need not panic even if they pass through the toll gate even before getting Salik tags. "They can register within two days and get Salik tags to have the fines waived," she explained.

This concession will also solve the problem of motorists coming from other emirates or neighbouring countries and pass through toll gates without Salik tags.

She further said a motorist, who gets a fine for insufficient credit on the Salik cards while passing through a toll gate, will also have it waived automatically if the Salik card account is replenished within two days of the offence. The concession has been given to help motorists and give them enough time to register for the Salik card account and have tags pasted on the front windscreen of their cars.

The fine for passing through the toll gates without a Salik tag is Dh100. The fine for passing toll gates with insufficient credit will be Dh50.

Also, motorists will be informed through SMS service in case they do not have enough credit.

Gates

There will be two toll gates, one at Al Garhoud Bridge and the other at the Fourth Interchange [near Mall of the Emirates] on Shaikh Zayed Road. Motorists will be charged every time they pass through a toll gate. Taxis will also pay toll when they enter or leave the toll-controlled area. Taxis are not excluded from the toll and the passenger travelling through the toll controlled area will be charged the toll money along with the taxi fare. But passengers will have the option to opt for Salik route or alternative routes. However, the public transport buses; school buses, ambulances, police and army vehicles will be exempted from the toll.

TOLL
Cards to go on sale within a week

Maitha Obaid Bin Udai, Chief Executive Officer of the Traffic and Roads Agency at the Dubai Roads and Traffic Authority (RTA), said Salik cards would go on sale within a week.

Every motorist intending to use the toll-controlled road will have to get a Salik tag. Motorists will have to fill an application form, which will be available with the Salik tag kit and also online. To get a Salik tag, a motorist will have to complete the application form and will have to provide personal information and a copy of car registration card.

Once a motorist registers or opens account with the Salik system, he/she will be able to access his/her account and check the balance www.salik.ae or by calling the customer service centre at 800 SALIK (72545).

Motorists will be able to recharge his/her Salik cards at selected banks Automatic Teller Machine (ATMs) and online using credit or debit cards. Companies or individuals, who have more than one vehicles, do not require to have separate Salik accounts for each vehicles. They can open one account in their name and can get separate tags for all their vehicles working under the same account.

The new road toll system will clog traffic rather than ease it, said a top police official.

Brigadier Mohammad Saif Al Zafein, Director, General Department of Traffic, Dubai Police, told Gulf News that the police has nothing to do with the new [Salik] road toll system as they were not consulted at any time.

"The Road and Transport Authority (RTA) officials didn't approach the traffic department for consultation or advice in our specialty, which is road safety and traffic flow. We learnt about the toll system from the media," he said.

The road toll system has been set up in many countries, but those nations have a fully functional road network, transport and metro systems, he said.

"Many roads in Dubai are under construction and many others being reconstructed, the metro needs sometime to be ready, more interchanges are needed - so how can the RTA start the road toll system without easing traffic [flow] and offering alternative roads for the public," wondered Brigadier Al Zafein.

Hope

"I hope Salik will be successful in reducing traffic. We heard that within 15 days Salik will be implemented on the link [road] from Al Garhoud Bridge till the Dubai Police Academy Bridge on Shaikh Zayed Road in both directions.

"But the entries and exits to that link will not have a toll system. So motorists can take alternative routes which lead to Shaikh Zayed Road, without having to use the two bridges," he said.

He said the same will happen to those who are taking the other direction of the road. "Al Khail, Emirate, Al Wasl, Jumeirah and Al Safouh roads will face heavy traffic and roads will be congested for long hours," said Brigadier Al Zafein.

RTA declared that the road that links Al Garhoud Bridge and the Academy Bridge is free, he said and added: "The question is why they add fees for that ten kilometre road as if traffic is only at that part of the road. Will that ease traffic on all Dubai roads? I believe that the opposite will happen and traffic will worsen."

He urged RTA to pause the project for sometime and reconsider their decision because "if they go ahead with it, it will negatively impact motorists and traffic accidents will increase".

Motorists will be charged a maximum of Dh24 a day for using toll roads, Gulf News has learnt.

The first phase of Dubai's toll system, Salik, will come into effect on July 1. Motorists will have to pay Dh4 each time they pass a toll gate, but the maximum charge per day per car using toll roads will be Dh24.

There will be two toll gates, one on Al Garhoud Bridge and the other on the Fourth Interchange (near Mall of the Emirates) on Shaikh Zayed Road. Motorists will be charged as they pass the toll gates.

Salik in Arabic means clear and the word has been chosen as the brand name for the toll system because it aims to ensure smooth traffic flow.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said the main aim of introducing Salik is to reduce congestion and better traffic management on Shaikh Zayed Road, one of the most crowded highways in the city, and to make motorists use alternate routes and other modes of transportation.

Motorists using parts of the roads between the toll gates will not be charged unless they pass a toll gate.

Salik kits comprising prepaid cards will go on sale from June 15 at all petrol stations, shopping centres and vehicle registration offices.

It will cost Dh100 for first time buyers including the Dh50 card fee and Dh50 credit. Motorists will be able to recharge cards. It will be delivered to customers on request and can also be ordered or recharged online. Motorists using the card will be informed at least three times through SMS if they run out of credit in their cards.

How does Salik work?

Motorists will not have to stop to pay the toll. They will have to purchase pre-paid cards and fix machine-readable stickers on the car windscreens. Toll charges will be deducted from their cards every time they pass under the electronic gates fitted withscanners. One sticker cab be used only for one car.

Fines

Failure to display the card on vehicles - Dh100
Repeat of same offence - Dh200
Third time same offence - Dh400
Insufficient credit in the card - Dh50
Manipulation or cheating - Dh10,000
Delay in paying fines (per month) - Dh10
Use of tariff gates by unauthorised vehicles - Dh100
Tariff

All types of vehicles - Dh4
Card and subscription - Dh50
Card replacement fee - Dh50
Card cancellation fee - Dh10
Transfer of card - Dh50

The implementation of Salik is really worth seeing.... I wouldn't mind paying the extra dirhams if I can be home without the hassle of the traffic!

Dubai - Motorists in Dubai will for the first time be charged for individual journeys as the new roll toll system - Salik - comes into operation this Sunday. The controversial plan has been installed to help ease chronic traffic congestion on the city's main roads which are often gridlocked for hours with frustrated and delayed drivers each day.

Despite thousands signing online petitions in protest at the scheme and rumours circulating that the RTA was to postpone the start of the tolls, Salik is launching on schedule and as planned. The RTA maintains that tolls are part of Dubai's strategy to solve the traffic problem in the city. “Salik is a national project that complements the Dubai Strategic Plan 2007-2015 unveiled recently by Sheikh Mohammed. It's an effective tool to reduce the usage of private cars,” said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of RTA.
Al Tayer said studies conducted by the RTA prove that the tolls will encourage the use of public transport and car pooling. “The toll system reflects the RTA's commitment to efficiently manage traffic in Dubai by encouraging motorists to use alternative roads and to avoid taking downtown routes as usually happens in most of the cities around the world. We expect gradual reduction in the traffic movement in and out of Dubai with the expected increase in car pooling and the usage of public transport,” said Al Tayer.
“Our studies also showed that Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Garhoud are the best to be tolled so as to streamline the traffic more smoothly,” he added. The RTA had promised that alternative routes would also be opened simultaneously to provide motorists alternatives to avoid the tolls. These new roads include the Dubai Crossing Road, currently under construction, which will link Sharjah with Abu Dhabi; the expansion on Al Maktoum Bridge; the expansion of Emirates Road from three to six lanes, and the floating bridge, which links the end of Al Ittihad Street near City Centre to Al Riyadh Street in Bur Dubai. None of these are yet completed.
The floating bridge is expected to decrease the traffic on Al Maktoum bridge considerably as it can take up to 6,000 vehicles per hour during rush hour. In addition to the now open Business Bay crossing, which consists of 13 lanes and links the airport tunnel with Sheikh Rashid and Al Khail street, the number of lanes crossing Dubai Creek will increase from 19 to 38 in 2007 and will reach 47 in 2008.
The RTA estimates that the road toll scheme will generate dhs600 million in its first year.

AVOIDING PAYING

>>Until the new routes are operational motorists coming from Sharjah to Dubai who want to avoid the toll gates at Al Garhoud Bridge will have to take the Mamzar route and use Shindagha tunnel or go to Deira and take Al Maktoum Bridge. They can also use Emirates Road straight to Sheikh Zayed Road or the new Business Bay Bridge.
>>To avoid Sheikh Zayed Road toll gates motorists can use Emirates Road or Business Bay Bridge.

SALIK FAQ
What do toll gates and toll fees mean for motorists?
The tolls are electronic gates where fees of dhs4 will be automatically deducted from the account of each motorist entering specific tolled roads in Dubai. Through this system the toll is deducted automatically every time the motorist passes through a gate from a pre-paid sticker tag card installed on the windscreen of the vehicle. If the tag is not installed or it has no credit, electronic cameras will capture the car registration number on camera and the driver will be fined.

When will the new toll system 'Salik' be activated? And where are the Toll Gates located?
'Salik', is scheduled to be activated on July 1. Salik Toll Gates are located at Garhoud Bridge and Sheikh Zayed Road (Al Barsha Gate) near the Mall of the Emirates. Where can motorists buy the toll system sticker tag and participate in Salik and recharge cards?
The sticker tags are available in more than 300 locations, at petrol stations (Enoc, Epco and Emarat) and Dubai Islamic Bank and Emirates Bank branches, and authorised outlets related to RTA, and they can subscribe through the web site (www.salik.ae) as well.

What is the price of the Salik tag and the participation fees?
The price is dhs100 for each kit. Dhs50 will be deducted as an initial cost for the account, and the other half will be considered as credit.

How will motorists know if their account needs to be recharged?
Motorists will be notified through SMS when their accounts need to be recharged. They will receive the first SMS when the credit is dhs30 and the second one at the dhs20 and the third one alerts the motorist that the credit is zero. They will also receive an SMS in case they are fined. If this happens the motorist can recharge within two working days to cancel the fine and the rest will automatically work as credit. Motorists can check their accounts through the toll system’s dedicated web site www.salik.ae as well as the call centre 800- Salik (800 - 72545).

What are the fines for a toll violation?
There are two kinds of fines - the first one is for motorists who do not stick the tag on their windscreen. The fine will be dhs100 for the first day, dhs200 for the next day, and dhs400 for the third day. Any additional fine will stay on the limit of dhs400. The second type of fine is for motorists who already have the tag on the windscreen but it is out of credit. They will be fined dhs50 for each entry through a toll, but again the motorist can overrule the fine if they recharge their electronic tag within two working days.

What about tourists who visit Dubai for one day, do they have to buy the tags?
All visitors from the Gulf region and other Emirates are obliged to participate and buy Salik tags. When a tourist rents a car from a car rental agency it will already have a tag. If he prefers to use his own car he has to buy a tag and it will stay activated for several years.

Will there be a cap per day for using the tolled roadways?
The maximum limit of the toll fees will be dhs24 a day. Once motorists reach this amount they can have free crossing for the rest of the day.

Are there any exceptional cases from Toll fees? And will school buses, cargo companies and taxis have any discounts?
Only vehicles registered as military, police, ambulances, school and college buses, and public buses are exempt. Taxis are not exempt and passengers will bear the toll fees if they are willing to use the roads where the toll gates are located. Cab drivers must confirm the passengers' willingness before using the road.
Companies with ten or more cars can open a 'Salik' private account. There will be no discounts as the price is unified and fixed.


Can I add vehicles (tags) to my account?
Yes. When you fill out the application, just indicate that you have an existing account and let them know the number and they will add the tag to your account. You can also apply online for additional tags and add them to your account at that time.

Can I drive through the toll zone immediately after buying a tag?
Yes. If your application is submitted and your tag is purchased and installed properly, the proper toll will be assessed and no violation will occur.

What if I sell my vehicle?
Call the Salik Customer Service Centre right away to deactivate your Salik tag so your account is not linked to a vehicle you no longer own. You should also remove the tag from the windshield when you sell your vehicle.

What if I damage or lose my tag?
If your Salik tag gets damaged or lost the vehicle owner will need to pay for a new tag to replace it.

Someone else was driving my car at the time of violation. Do I have to pay?
Yes. The owner of the vehicle is responsible for any toll violation, regardless of who was driving at the time the violation occurred.

Dubai: At midnight, Mohammad Ahmed Hakim, 23, a UAE national in his Nissan Altima drove through the Salik toll gate on Garhoud towards Sharjah, minus the Salik tag.

He became the first Salik violator not once but twice yesterday within a span of 20 minutes, but declined to be photographed.

"I was waiting on the roadside and exactly at midnight I drove under the toll gates. After I crossed the first toll gate I drove all the way to the Airport Road, came back on the other side of Garhoud and crossed the toll gate installed near the Grand Hyatt."

The Salik toll system went operational at midnight yesterday. Motorists were seen rushing to the Emarat petrol station located near the toll gate towards Sharjah at Garhoud to buy the Salik tag before the toll gate went operational. Violators will be fined Dh 100.

"I brought a Salik tag form the Emarat petrol station but was told by the counter staff that even if I get the tag pasted on my vehicle windscreen I will be fined. They told me that it could take 10 days before I get myself registered.

"That was it. I then decided to just violate the toll rule. My friends called me crazy but I just did it. I even waited to pay the fine at one of the toll gates installed towards Dubai on Garhoud, but no official showed up. Now I will have to find out whether I was fined and for how much.”

In reply to a query when he would make use of the Salik tag, Mohammad said: "From tomorrow.”

A couple of motorists who had made the last-minute purchase of the Salik tag said that they were hoping that the toll will be postponed.

They said that they would make use of the toll gates while going to work but would prefer taking alternative routes while heading back home in the evening.

"What needs to be seen is whether or not the toll system is successful in bringing down the traffic congestion on Dubai roads. If that is not happening, then the authorities should rethink on the efficacy of the toll system,"said Marwan Ali, a Palestinian resident of Sharjah.

Dubai: The much-heralded Salik road toll system has come into effect today - although as late as Saturday many motorists were yet to buy their special tags.

The scheme - the first of its kind in the Middle East - involves a Dh4 levy for motorists using two stretches of road in the emirate.

Toll booths cover vehicles using Al Garhoud Bridge on Shaikh Rashid Road in either direction, while the second section covers the Fourth Interchange of Shaikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates. Drivers will have to pay a maximum of Dh24 in a single day, with fines imposed on those who fail to have Salik tags in their vehicles.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) hopes the new system will reduce congestion at the two toll stretches by diverting traffic elsewhere.

Some residents have said project's real effect on traffic flows will not be evident until after summer when people return from their holidays.

Drivers Gulf News spoke to yesterday gave a mixed verdict.

Jane King, 60, a retired occupational health adviser from the United Kingdom, has already bought a Salik tag - but is unsure what benefits the scheme will bring."It's just going to shift traffic into places, such as residential areas, that are not suitable for that amount of traffic," she said.

King said she felt there were no suitable alternative routes people could take to avoid the toll roads.

"Al Khail Road and Emirates Road are full already, and Jumeirah Beach Road and Al Wasl Road are busy," she added.

Government employee Mohammad Abdullah, 32, from Jordan, still had not bought a Salik tag by yesterday morning.

"I am not in a hurry to get one as I won't be going the way for Salik," he said, before adding: "Even if the Salik roads are [free of traffic], the other roads will be jammed."

Sales executive Mohammad Rafik, 28, had not bought a tag because he was waiting for his company to shell out for one.

He said once the new Al Garhoud Bridge was finished, there would be no need to continue with that Salik toll.

"For the long term, it is not a good idea," he said.

Emirati employee Jawad Al Sayed, 32, bought a Salik tag three days ago.

He said that Salik was a good idea, but he felt now was not the right time to introduce it because of a lack of alternative forms of transport. "They should have waited for more than a year because they are working on the metro system. They should finish the metro first," he said.

Dubai: Sales of Salik tags yesterday increased steadily throughout the day, according to outlets.

A few days ago petrol stations and other outlets had reported as being out of stock of the tag.

"Today we have sold about 450 tags," said an Emarat petrol station supervisor in Jumeirah.

"We have a lot of stock and we are prepared. On average we can say that we are selling 700 tags a day. About 10 to 20 per cent of people who come here are asking a lot of questions," he said.

"Some people come to buy the tag but they think it is the last day for them to buy it. We have been selling them for about a month now. A lot of businesses are coming to pick up forms for company vehicles," he added. At an Eppco station on Al Wasl Road the manager said sales were steady and by midday nearly 200 tags had been sold.

"It is the last minute syndrome but we were ready for it. Usually we sell about 100 a day and today more people have been coming to buy their tags," he said.

"If we can answer the questions that we are asked we try and help the customers but we are in charge of promoting it so if people really have a difficult question we ask them to call the helpline," he said.

He said tags have been on sale for a while and customers have been encouraged to buy the tag as soon as they were available. "We sometimes help people put it in their car," he said.

Abdullah Al Awadi, an Emirati motorist said he lives on Shaikh Zayed Road and so would have to pay the toll at some point everyday.

"We cannot know yet how expensive it is going to be. I have to wait for the end of the year before I can know. My journey takes me to Shaikh Zayed Road everyday but I think it will be ok," he said.

Another motorist from Dubai, Bashar Juroor, was less optimistic. "If it works it will be very good but I don't think that the traffic will be less. Near Garhoud Bridge it might be better but further on the road the congestion will be the same."