Salik (road toll) - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Salik is the name given to the electronic toll road

Toll road

A toll road is a privately or publicly built road for which a driver pays a toll for use. Structures for which tolls are charged include toll bridges and toll tunnels. Non-toll roads are financed using other sources of revenue, most typically fuel tax or general tax funds...

system in Dubai

Dubai

Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

, United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...

. The system has been by some residents of the city state for being an added expense for them. However, in general the system has been well received as a further way of attempting to reduce the serious congestion issues facing Dubai. The Salik toll system was implemented by Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on 1 July 2007.
Motorists are required to buy a 100 AED

United Arab Emirates dirham

The dirham is the currency of the United Arab Emirates. The ISO 4217 code for the United Arab Emirates dirham is AED. Unofficial abbreviations include DH or Dhs. The dirham is subdivided into 100 ....

pre-paid card that is affixed to their windscreens. 4 AED ($1.08) will automatically be deducted from their account each time they pass through toll gate. Initially there were two toll gates, one near Al Garhoud Bridge

Al Garhoud bridge

Al Garhoud Bridge is one of four road bridges over Dubai Creek, and one of five crossing, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Al Garhoud Bridge forms the eastern end of the road toll that went into effect on 1 July 2007...

, and one near Mall of the Emirates

Mall of the Emirates

The Mall of the Emirates is a shopping mall in the Al Barsha district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was developed by Majid Al Futtaim Properties under the leadership of its CEO, Peter Walichnowski, who was also the developer of "Bluewater" near London, Europe's most successful shopping mall....

on Sheikh Zayed Road

Sheikh Zayed Road

E 11 is a highway in the United Arab Emirates. The longest road in the UAE, E 11 streches from Al Silah in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and ends in Ras Al Khaimah emirate at the Oman border, running roughly parallel to UAE's coastline along the Persian Gulf...

, but later in September 2008 two more gates were installed. The maximum charge per day per car using the tolled roads will be 24 AED ($6.48). Alternative routes include Business Bay Crossing

Business Bay Crossing

The 13 lane Business Bay Crossing is one of the most recent bridges across Dubai Creek and was opened to traffic in June 2007...

, Floating Bridge

Floating Bridge, Dubai

Floating Bridge is a pontoon bridge in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It connects Riyadh Road, Dubai Courts and Creek Park on the Bur Dubai side with Baniyas Road, Deira City Centre and the Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club on the Deira side. Floating Bridge is the fifth crossing on Dubai Creek...

(close to Al Maktoum Bridge

Al Maktoum Bridge

Al Maktoum Bridge is a bridge that crosses Dubai Creek in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is one of five crossings on the creek. The others are Al Shindagha Tunnel, Floating Bridge, Al Garhoud Bridge and Business Bay Crossing.Al Maktoum Bridge was the first bridge in Dubai. It opened in 1963...

; connects Al Ittihad Road (in Deira

Deira, Dubai

Deira is an area in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates bordered by the Persian Gulf, Sharjah and Dubai Creek. Historically, it has been the center of Dubai, but has been losing its importance during the past few decades due to recent development along E 11 road and areas further down the...

) with Al Riyadh Street (in Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai

Bur Dubai is a historic district in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, located on the western side of the Dubai Creek. The name literally translates to Mainland Dubai, a reference to the traditional separation of the Bur Dubai area from Deira by the Dubai Creek...

)), Al Khail Road, and Emirates Road

Emirates Road

E 311 is a route in the United Arab Emirates. The road begins in Jebel Ali Free Zone and extends eastward towards Ras Al Khaimah...

Extension of Salik

On 9 September 2008, two more SALIK gates were started. One at Safa Park

Safa Park

Safa Park is a 64 hectare urban park located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is 10.53 km southwest of the traditional center of Dubai along Sheikh Zayed Road. The park is bordered by Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Wasl Road, Al Hadiqa Street, and 55th Street.Created in 1975, Safa Park was...

and another at Al Maktoum Bridge

Al Maktoum Bridge

. The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai (RTA) explained how the new gates will work in conjunction with existing gates. Once a motorist passes through Al Barsha toll gate, he will be charged Dh4. But if he continues his journey, does not take a right or left turn or does not get stuck in traffic and passes though the Al Safa toll gate, he will not be charged. But if the motorist continues his journey and passes through the Al Maktoum toll gate, he will again be charged Dh4. Moreover, if the motorist, during the same journey, lastly passes through the Al Garhoud toll gate, he will again be charged Dh4. The Al Safa toll gate will be free of charge if the motorist is on one straight journey.

RTA also cleared that if a motorist passes through, for example, the Al Safa gate and then makes an exit from the Shaikh Zayed Road and again crosses another toll gate, he will have to pay Salik. But if he continues on the same trip and crosses Al Barsha toll gate, only Dh4 will be deducted.

The Al Maktoum Bridge toll gate will be free when the Floating Bridge is closed for traffic to ease the process for motorists.

Technology

The Salik Tags are the 'passive' RFID tags. 'Passive' tags are powered by the transceiver in the toll gate and no battery is required for the tag itself. Radio frequency identification (RFID) is an automatic identification method, relying on storing and remotely retrieving data using devices called RFID tags or transponders.

An RFID tag is an object that can be applied to or incorporated into a product, animal, or person for the purpose of identification using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader.

Advantages of the Salik System

The use of this technology enables the traffic to continue flowing through the toll gates as opposed to vehicles having to stop and pay a monetary toll as on more traditional toll gates. The fees are currently relatively low, when compared to other major cities such as London.

Criticism of Salik

Even though the tolls started on July 1, 2007, many commuters have criticised the RTA for implementing Salik, too soon, since alternative routes have become jammed. The initial hiccups of SMS alerts not being received by customers was traced to incorrect mobiles. Now the SMS alerts have become a critical component of the service and ensures that the customers receive their account information more accurately.

For some the largest area of concern of Salik is that the purchase of a Salik tag is tied to the car, instead of the owner. This means that a commuter from Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...

, or a neighbouring Persian Gulf country who drives into Dubai

Dubai

will be required to purchase a sticker which they will have to stick on the windscreen for the life of the car. The traveller who might come into Dubai once a year or less, will have to keep the orange sticker on the windscreen permanently, just in case they decide to return to Dubai. However, it must also be stated that for most vehicles the Salik tag cannot be seen from within the vehicle as it is obscured by the rear view mirror.

There was previous criticism of how the Salik charge used to be applied to taxi fares, but the Dubai RTA has now exempted them from the toll (see below).

The Dubai RTA have yet to clarify where exactly should the Salik tag be stuck, if the motorcycle does not have a windshield.

When Salik was launched on July 1, 2007, some of the advertised alternate routes were not yet completed. Floating Bridge

Floating Bridge, Dubai

opened to the public on July 16, 2007, two weeks after Salik began.
The Salik toll system has received mixed reviews. Those travelling on Al Garhoud Bridge seem happy that it is no longer congested, while others on Sheikh Zayed Road are dismayed especially since there are many exit points before and after the Al Barsha toll gates. This has led to an influx of traffic into neighbouring residential areas of the Springs, Greens and Al Barsha communities.

Dubai taxis

All Dubai taxis will be exempt from the Salik road toll from Dec. 2 onwards to mark UAE National Day, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said.

External links

Salik official website
Gulf News — coverage of Salik toll
Salik — The Dubai Road Toll — ArabianBusiness.com

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