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Dubai: The Salik toll system has helped reduce traffic passing through the toll gates on Garhoud Bridge and Shaikh Zayed Road by 20 per cent and is right on track, said a senior official.
"Salik is part of a series of integrated solutions worked out by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) to tackle traffic congestion," said Mattar Al Tayer, Chairman of the Board and Executive Director of the RTA.
Speaking at a ceremony honouring the RTA's team working on the Salik project, Al Tayer said the project aims to alleviate the intensive individual use of vehicles, particularly within the same family. The system urges individuals to use public transport and alternative roads instead of congested roads.
"The project also aims to bring about an express corridor to meet the requirements of global trading companies and to respond to the needs of residents who wish to reach destination quickly," he added.
Al Tayer praised the efforts of the team that worked deliver the project on time. "Salik is one of the pioneer projects in the region and the world, as testified by world-class experts specialised in traffic systems," he said.
No financial gain
He noted that many motorists are now using alternate routes, citing statistics that show Salik has reduced congestion on toll-controlled roads by 20 per cent.
"More than 700,000 Salik tags, which are needed to pass through the gates, have been sold so far," he added.
He asserted that the Salik system is not for financial gain, which is negligible compared to the huge funds allocated by the RTA for road and traffic improvement in Dubai. The RTA will spend Dh45 billion on road projects by 2020.
Those honoured at the ceremony are: Engineer Maitha Obaid Bint Udai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency; Engineer Badr Al Siri, Director of Traffic Department; Engineer Salah Al Marzouqi, Director of Intelligent Traffic Systems; Engineer Nazim Faisal, Director of Maintenance Department; Abdul Rahman Al Shair, Director of the Legal Affairs Department and a number of other officials.
Your comments
The unspoken part of the good news is that it has eased traffic for those who wish to pay, others still need to live with it.
Ahmed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 17:21
No doubt traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road and Garhoud Bridge has reduced. But traffic has increased on alternative routes such as The Lakes and The Greens. Perhaps, the RTA should have improved the lane capacity before imposing the Salik charge.
Helle
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 15:12
Have the RTA officials ever used the Al Maktoum Bridge to Galadari towards Sharjah? It takes at least 2-3 hours even at 2am in the morning. Well, I think the RTA is trying to punish those who don't want to use the Salik toll bridge.
Rami
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 14:58
I don't think the Salik system has improved the traffic at all; instead it has worsened the situation on the Al Maktoum Bridge. Hope the system ends soon.
Ahmed
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 14:15
The Salik system has lead to congestion on all alternate routes and is mostly affecting average-salaried employees.
Mohammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 13:43
I sometimes need to come to Dubai for business. I always stop at the petrol stations to ask for Salik cards but they are never available. I can't waste time going around Dubai looking look for a card.
Ismail
Muscat,Oman
Posted: January 02, 2008, 13:39
Defaulters are let off for three months. What about people who do pay the fine? Also, it might have reduced the traffic by 20 per cent but the situation is still not good. Several times, I have passed the Al Garhoud toll bridge at the speed of 10km/h at about 7-8pm.
Muhammad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 12:51
Salik is right on track, is it? Residents adjacent to Jumeirah Beach Road near Knowledge Village can certainly attest to the fact that traffic has been diverted from Shaikh Zayed Road. Now it takes more than 20 minutes just to reach the beach road from our compound because all those who want to avoid the toll gate clog this road and the Knowledge Village. Well done RTA!
Anonymous
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 12:50
I live in the Tecom area next to the Greens. I pay the Salik tax every day on my way to and back from work. The toll gate is just about a hundred metres away from my house and yet I pay the tax every day. Also, everybody tries to take the service lane leading to Shaikh Zayed Road to avoid the toll gate. I need to take this service lane as well to reach home. So, even after paying the tax, I am stuck for half an hour every day. Nowadays, I leave home at 7am to reach office on time at 9am.
Jimmy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 12:30
I bought the Salik tag a month back but haven't yet stuck it on the car; still waiting for the RTA to activate it. I got an SMS stating my account details. However, when I called the RTA, they said no tag has been assigned to this account. They asked me to send them photocopies of the invoice and the Mulkia (car registration card). I faxed the documents several times but still no tag has been assigned to my account. It seems a lot of people have had a similar experience.
Sandamenon
Sharjah,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 11:47
Once again, the RTA is praising itself for the traffic congestion that has come about as a result of the ill-conceived Salik toll gates. It is ridiculous that they think clogging the residential streets around the Al Barsha toll gate with commuter traffic is a sign of a successful system. The RTA first needs to build a proper public transport system, give people the alternatives. Only then, start the Salik system to encourage people to use the alternative systems.
Stephen
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 11:16
The causes of congestion have not been addressed. No city in the world has a highway running through its heart. This is what has to be addressed. Toll gates should be set up at Dubai borders that can be used by inter-city drivers. The residents of Dubai should not be taxed. Right now, citizens don't trust this system and treat it like another source of income for the RTA.
Abdel
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 10:18
I don't think the 20 per cent reduction in traffic is because of Salik; it is because of the barriers created on the roads in the Garhoud area. Why don't they create similar barriers to support the Salik gates. These could further reduce the traffic.
Ansar
Dubai,United Arab Emirates
Posted: January 02, 2008, 10:15
The traffic on Shaikh Zayed Road by evening is quite bad. The drivers are caught in a traffic snarl after the Salik toll gate and the situation continues till Maktoum Bridge. A 20 per cent improvement is not satisfactory; we need more.
Troy
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 09:43
If the RTA really wants to reduce traffic, it should provide better public transport. A separate line must be created for public buses on highways to improve the traffic flow.
Sooraj
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 09:13
First of all, Salik has not eased traffic congestion. Secondly, if it is not for financial gain, why charge Dh4 every time one passes through a Salik tolling point? Why compare the gains from the Salik system to the investments the authorities make on roads? We are already paying for the roads.
Zara
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 08:12
Hope the system stops at only two gates. If the aim is to reduce traffic, why not activate the system only during rush hours and not keep it activated 24 hours?
Abbas
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 08:10
It is a money-making racket. That is all. Why can't the RTA think about improving the side roads?
Ignatius
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 07:49
I think Salik hasn't changed any of the grim realities faced by most drivers in Dubai; it has made it worse. The only difference now is that the traffic problem is less visible on the Salik toll roads. I wonder what will happen if the Salik system is applied to all roads inside and outside Dubai.
Wissam
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 07:33
If the Salik is not for financial gain, why impose a toll charge during the off-peak hours (before 7am and after 9pm). Any sense in that? And now the alternate routes crowded too!
Corode
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 07:31
The system urges individuals to use public transport. May I ask what public transport -- the trains which are not yet ready; or the taxis that will cost half your salary; or the bus that will take two hours to drop you to work.
Murad
Duabi,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 06:43
The RTA should make the study, which proves traffic has reduced on Garhoud Bridge, available to the public. Only then, will drivers stop complaining about paying the Salik toll.
Karkain
Dubai,UAE
Posted: January 02, 2008, 05:51
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