Is Circumventing Two New Dubai Toll Gates a Viable Option?

Dubai, Jan 19, 2024: In some surprising news for local commuters, Dubai authorities have declared the launch of two new toll booths. Although the installations won’t be set up before November this year, it is perhaps not something all drivers will welcome whole-heartedly. Still, arrangements need to be made amid the bustling roads.

According to the upcoming move, local infrastructural personnel will be setting up the gates at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road and in Al Safa South on Sheik Zayed Road, between Al Maidan Street and Um Al Sheik Street. A decisive attempt to reduce congestion is the apparent reason for this new move.

This impending action comes on the heels of extensive studies toward making the traffic more fluid. The two new additions will bring the number of toll gates across the emirate up to 10. According to reports, the Road and Transport Authority (RTA) has given the green light to Dubai’s toll gate operator – Salik Company – to proceed with realising this plan.

The concerned parties aim to have the Business Bay Gate and the Al Safa South Gate cut congestion by an ambitious 12 to 15 per cent. Salik’s collaboration with the RTA “is an important step... in enhancing Dubai’s transport infrastructure with smart and sustainable mobility solutions”, says, Ibrahim Al Haddad, the company’s CEO. Al Hahdad added that the duo of gates “... will help to improve overall mobility in the city”.

The move comes in line with the Al Khail Road Improvement Project, supposedly enabling the reduction of travel time by 6 million hours annually. Traffic volume on the busy Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud Bridges will be cut by roughly a quarter.

But this announcement may not go down to favourably with local commuters, especially those who travel in and out of Dubai on a daily basis. Already some are avoiding toll booths which charge amounts on the high side, sometimes having to take a detour of 10 km in the process. 

According to credible reports, toll use accounts for 87% of Salik’s revenue, while the company has also expanded into parking ventures. Since July 2022, Salik has been functioning as an autonomous legal entity from the RTA. 

According to TomTom’s Traffic Flow index in 2022, Dubai outperforms major global cities like Los Angeles, Montreal, Sydney, Berlin, Rome and Milan in terms of the average time spent on travelling 10 km in a Central Business District (CBD). But while drivers might benefit in terms of time, they might have to pay for it in higher toll amounts. One is yet to see how the implanting of two new gates will pan out... down the road.