Two new Salik toll gates go live

The two new Salik toll gates in Dubai have officially gone live, increasing the total number of gates in the city to ten.

The new Salik roads are in the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and the second in Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street.

The RTA expects the Business Bay Crossing gate to assist in improving traffic congestion by 12-15 per cent on Al Khail Road, reducing traffic volume by 10-16 per cent on Al Rabat Street, and redistributing traffic to Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud bridges and Ras Al Khor Street.

The Al Safa South gate aims to reduce right-turn traffic from Sheikh Zayed Road to Meydan Street by 15 per cent and improve traffic flow on Financial Centre, First Al Khail, and Al Asayel streets. 

Drivers will only be charged once if they cross both the Al Safa South and Al Safa North gates in less than an hour.

The new gates are powered by solar energy in a first for Salik. 

The locations have reportedly been selected based on extensive traffic movement studies by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). 

The authority has been expanding roadworks across the city over the last few months to accomodate increasing traffic caused by the growing population. 

Salik, which is Dubai’s road toll collection system, was established in 2007. 

It costs AED4 each time a toll is crossed, however in January, the RTA said it was considering introducing dynamic pricing during peak hours, which could increase prices in particularly busy areas and times of the day.