Dubai: On January 19, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced that it would be introducing two new Salik toll gates this year, which would not only distribute traffic across the city’s entire road network, reducing traffic congestion and volume, but also encourage people to use public transport options, like the Dubai Metro, public buses and marine transport.
Here are five things you need to know about the new toll gates.
1. Where will they be located?
According to RTA, the location for the new toll gates would be:
1. Business Bay Crossing, on Al Khail Road.
2. Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Al Meydan and Umm Al Sheif streets.
2. When will the new gates be operational?
The two gates are set to be fully operational by November 2024.
3. There is already a Salik gate in Al Safa, will I be charged twice?
No, if you pass both the gates – Al Safa South and North, within a one hour duration, you will only be charged once, as per the RTA’s announcement.
This system is similar to the existing system in place for toll gates in Al Mamzar North and Al Mamzar South. If you pass both those gates in one direction within one hour and without exiting the highway in between the gates, you will be charged only once.
4. What are the alternative routes for the new Salik gates?
According to RTA, the introduction of the new gates will reroute traffic to the following alternative roads:
Alternative routes close to the Al Safa South Salik toll gate:
1. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311)
2. Dubai-Al Ain Road (E66)
3. Ras Al Khor Road (E44)
4. Al Manama Street (D77/D67)
Alternative routes for Business Bay Crossing that allow motorists to cross the Dubai Creek:
1. Infinity Bridge (D85)
2. Al Shindagha Tunnel (D92)
5. Will RTA introduce dynamic or flexible toll charges?
In 2022, RTA said that it was considering the option of dynamic pricing for Salik toll gates . Dynamic pricing essentially refers to a system where different toll rates are applied, depending on road usage and the time of the day. Salik said that this could take the form of a higher toll fee for specific lanes or during peak hours.
More recently, RTA responded to a post from Emirati lawyer, Habib Al Mulla, on X (formerly Twitter), where he suggested that the RTA introduce dynamic pricing for Salik toll gates. In response to the suggestion, the official RTA account - @rta_dubai – posted that dynamic pricing was being considered as one of the solutions in the future, and its application depended on the results of RTA’s transportation strategy and after the completion of the road network in the emirate.
