Two new Salik road toll gates in Dubai will be brought into operation on Sunday, November 24, it was announced on Friday.
The gates have been installed at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and in Al Safa South, on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street.
The activation date was confirmed in a notice sent by Ibrahim Al Haddad, chief executive of Salik, to Hamed Ali, chief executive of the Dubai Financial Market. Plans to introduce the additional charging points – which bring the number of Salik gates in the emirate to 10 – were first announced in January.
Authorities previously said the locations had been chosen after extensive traffic studies, in an effort to reduce congestion. Salik Company – the operator of Dubai’s toll gates – was directed to establish the new gates by the Roads and Transport Authority.
Business Bay Crossing gate will reduce traffic by:
- 12 to 15 per cent on Al Khail Road
- 10 to 16 per cent on Al Rabat Street
Al Safa South gate:
- 15 per cent reduction of right-turn traffic volume from Sheikh Zayed Road to Meydan Street
- Improve traffic flow between Financial Center Street and Meydan Street
- Redistribute traffic to wider First Al Khail Street and Al Asayel Street.
Al Haddad also explained earlier Al Safa South gate is a technical solution linked with the existing northern Al Safa gate. “This means there is just one single payment for those passing through both the northern and southern Safa gates within an hour.”
“We are also very pleased to highlight that both new toll gates will be almost 100 per cent solar powered, which is a first for Salik and something that we have been focused on achieving for some time. This supports our sustainable growth agenda, aligned with Dubai’s goals and our commitment to green energy,” he continued.
No announcement on dynamic pricing
Meanwhile, early last month, Salik denied a widely circulated note on social media about the implementation of dynamic pricing for all toll gates in the emirate.
The viral post enumerated corresponding amounts – from free to Dh8 – based on off and peak hours that would presumably take effect when two new Salik gates would become operational in late November. Salik said the information was entirely inaccurate.
Al Haddad also clarified “any adjustments to the tariffs are a decision for the RTA and are subject to approval by the Executive Council of Dubai.”
Currently, Salik is charging a fixed a fee of Dh4 every time a vehicle passes any of the toll gates across the city.
Last year, about 593 million journeys went through Salik’s toll gates. From January to June this year, 238.5 million trips passed through the eight toll gates, resulting in Dh1.1 billion half-year revenue, up by 5.6 per cent from the same period last year.
Will there be more toll gates in Dubai?
He noted “the introduction of a new toll gate primarily rests on traffic and congestion levels” and depends on the outcomes of technical and traffic studies.
“The goal is to make transportation in Dubai more efficient and enhance traffic flow across the road networks. The expansion of tolling systems – whether through adding gates, adjusting toll fees, or implementing dynamic pricing relies on the results of transport strategy assessments reviewed and updated by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). However, any changes to toll rates would require a green light from Dubai’s Executive Council,” he clarified.
