Two new Salik gates will be operational on major roads in Dubai by the end of November this year. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced the gates on Friday, January 19. These gates will require motorists to pay tolls at specific points along Al Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road.
Locations of the New Toll Gates:
The first of these new gates will be situated on the Business Bay Crossing along Al Khail Road. The second gate, named the Al Safa South Toll Gate, will be located on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Al Meydan and Umm Al Sheif Streets.
Motorists will be charged Dhs4 each time they pass through a Salik toll gate. However, you will only be charged once if you pass through both Safa Gates (north and south) within one hour. This rule also applies to the existing gates in Al Mamzar.
Purpose of the New Gates:
The primary goal of these new Salik gates is to ease traffic congestion across Dubai’s roads, providing a quicker and more efficient route for those who choose to drive.
Mattar Al Tayer, director general and chairman of the RTA’s board of executive directors, emphasized that the gates will help distribute traffic more evenly across the city’s road network.
The new toll policies are also designed to encourage the use of public transportation, such as the metro, buses, marine transport, and other mobility options.
Expected Impact on Traffic:
Introducing these new gates is expected to significantly reduce travel times on key routes. For example, the Business Bay Crossing Gate is projected to reduce traffic on Al Khail Road by 15 percent and on Al Rebat Street by 16 percent.
Similarly, the Al Safa South Gate is expected to decrease traffic turning right from Sheikh Zayed Road to Al Meydan Street by 15 percent and cut down the flow of traffic from Al Meydan and Al Safa Streets to Sheikh Zayed Road by 42 percent.
Additionally, it is anticipated that the traffic volume on Sheikh Zayed Road between Financial Centre and Latifa Bint Hamdan Streets will be reduced by 4 percent, optimizing the use of the First Al Khail and Al Asayel Roads by the same percentage.
Background on Salik:
Salik, Dubai’s road toll collection system, has existed since 2007. Eight toll gates operate throughout the city, and motorists are charged Dhs4 for passing through each gate. The system is managed by a company with exclusive rights to maintain and operate these toll gates until June 2071.
As part of an agreement between Salik and the RTA, the transport authority has been paid Dhs2.734 billion to implement these new gates.
Potential Future Changes:
In January 2024, the RTA mentioned that it was exploring dynamic pricing during peak times. This could potentially lead to higher toll costs when driving through particularly busy areas.
