Salik

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Salik ( Arabic سالك, DMG Sālik  'passable') is the name of the automated toll system in Dubai , United Arab Emirates . It was introduced by and operated by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) on July 1, 2007 . The background was the increasingly dense motor vehicle traffic, which one wanted to counteract.

Salik sticker

Salik sticker on a windshield

Every vehicle that passes the toll roads and bridges requires a Salik sticker with a credit on the windshield . This sticker is available to purchase from one of RTA's many distribution partners for AED 100  . AED 50 is incurred for the sticker itself and the remaining 50 are included as the first credit.

The vehicles are automatically recorded via toll portals and the toll (4 AED per pass) is debited electronically. Up to 2013 a maximum of 24 AED were debited per day, even if the portals were used more than six times. However, this daily limit was lifted on July 15, 2013. This means that a toll has to be paid for every passage, regardless of the number of journeys per day. Vehicle owners are informed by SMS when their salik credit falls below a certain value. This can then be recharged using different payment methods.

Toll portals

Toll gate on the Al Garhoud Bridge

Originally there were two toll gates: one on the Al Garhoud Bridge (Al Garhoud Bridge Toll Gate) and the second on Sheikh Zayed Road , near the Mall of the Emirates (Al Barsha Toll Gate). On September 9, 2008, however, two more portals were installed: further into town on Sheikh Zayed Road, near Safa Park (Al Safa Toll Gate) and on the Al Maktoum Bridge (Al Maktoum Bridge Toll Gate).

Depending on the route, you can drive through up to three toll gates in one trip. To the north ( Dubai Airport , Daira , Sharjah etc.) these would be:

  1. Al Barsha Toll Gate
  2. Al Safa Toll Gate
  3. depending on which bridge you cross: Al Garhoud Bridge Toll Gate or Al Maktoum Bridge Toll Gate

In the direction of the south ( Jebel Ali ) the order would be exactly the opposite. Regardless of the direction, however, only 2 passes would be charged for such a journey. Al Barsha Toll Gate and Al Safa Toll Gate are interconnected in such a way that you only have to pay once for both passages during one trip. However, if there is a longer break on the journey between these two portals, you pay for both passages.

Toll-free alternative routes, some of which are much longer: Business Bay Crossing , Floating Bridge (near Al Maktoum Bridge ), Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road .

While the Floating Bridge closes at night, travel over the Al Maktoum Bridge is free.

Expansion of the toll system

The RTA is currently working on the installation of additional toll gates at two critical points:

  1. Al Mamzar Bridge
  2. Airport tunnel

These were activated on April 15, 2013 and, according to the RTA, should improve the traffic situation on the route from Sharjah and the other northern emirates to Dubai.

technology

Salik sticker inside - RFID chip is in the middle

The Salik sticker contains a passive RFID chip that is read out when driving through the toll portal. Power is supplied by radio signals from the interrogation device in the toll portal, which means that no battery is required in the sticker itself.

criticism

Especially in the early stages of the Salik project, there were major problems. The alternative routes were completely congested, which led to hours of traffic jams around Sheikh Zayed Road . The SMS notifications did not work properly at the beginning either.

Probably the biggest point of criticism is that a Salik sticker is assigned to the car (more precisely the windshield) and not to the driver. If you change your vehicle or if the windshield breaks, a new sticker must be purchased. Vehicles from other Emirates or abroad going to Dubai must purchase a Salik sticker. This also applies if they only come to the city once a year or even less. As long as the sticker is not removed from the windshield, the credit is retained in the long term.

In the case of taxi rides through the toll portals, the corresponding fee was added to the fare. After severe criticism of this rise in prices, taxis were exempted from salik fees from December 2, 2008 to January 15, 2013, after which the fee for taxi rides was reintroduced.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Salik (toll in Dubai)
  2. ↑ RTA to Cancel Daily Cap for Salik from 15th July 2013 ( English ) RTA . June 30, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  3. ↑ Salik gates at Mamzar bridge, Airport Tunnel from April 15 ( English ) Khaleej Times . February 16, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
  4. ↑ Dubai taxis to be exempt from Salik ( English ) ArabianBusiness.com. November 23, 2008. Retrieved July 18, 2012.
  5. ↑ taxis to charge Salik from Tuesday ( English ) Gulf News . January 14, 2013. Retrieved March 7, 2013.

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