Salik (road toll)
Salik (Arabic: سالك, German: " free movement " ) is the name of the automated toll system in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was introduced on 1 July 2007 by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA ) and operated by her. Background was the increasingly dense automobile traffic, which you wanted to counter with this.
Salik sticker
Every vehicle that passes through the toll roads and bridges, Salik needs a sticker with a credit on the windshield. This sticker must be purchased at a price of 100 AED from one of the many partners of the RTA. 50 AED to fall for the sticker itself, and the remaining 50 are included as the first credit.
About toll portals, the vehicles are detected automatically and the toll ( 4 AED per passage ) debited electronically. By 2013, more than 24 AED were charged per day, even if the portals were passed more than six times. This daily limit, however, was repealed with effect from 15 July 2013. Thus toll now must be paid for each passage, regardless of the number of trips per day. Via SMS the vehicle owner will be informed if their Salik - balance falls below a certain value. This can then be charged by different payment methods again.
Toll portals
Originally there were two toll portals: one on the Al Garhoud Bridge ( Al Garhoud Bridge Toll Gate) and the second on the Sheikh Zayed Road, near Mall of the Emirates (Al Barsha toll gate ). On 9 September 2008, however, two additional portals were installed: Further downtown on Sheikh Zayed Road, close to Safa Park ( Al Safa toll gate ) and the Al Maktoum Bridge ( Al Maktoum Bridge Toll Gate).
Depending on the route so you can go through up to three toll portals on a ride. In the north ( Dubai, Deira, Sharjah, airport etc ) would be this:
In the south ( Jebel Ali ) would be the order reversed. Regardless of the direction but only 2 crossings would be offset in such a journey. Al Barsha and Al Safa Tollgate Tollgate are in fact connected together, so that in the context of a journey for both passages must be paid only once. But If, during the journey between these two portals to a long break, 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
During the night-time closure of the Floating Bridge to drive over the Al Maktoum Bridge is free.
Extension of the toll system
The RTA is currently working on the installation of new toll portals at two critical points:
These were activated on 15 April 2013, and are intended to improve the traffic situation on the route from Sharjah and other Northern Emirates to Dubai, according to the RTA.
Technology
The Salik sticker contains a passive RFID chip that is read by the toll portal for the ride. The power is supplied by radio signals of the interrogator in the toll gantry, which is necessary no battery in the label itself.
Criticism
Especially in the initial phase of Salik project, there were major problems. The alternative routes were completely overloaded, leading to hours-long traffic jams in the area of Sheikh Zayed Road. The SMS notifications do not work yet properly at the beginning.
The biggest criticism is that a Salik sticker car (specifically the windshield ) and not associated with the driver. For a change of vehicle or wheel breakage so a new label must be purchased. Vehicles from other Emirates or abroad who go to Dubai must purchase a Salik sticker. This applies even if they rarely come to town only once a year or more. As long as the label is not removed from the windshield, the balance is also maintained in the long term.
For taxi rides through the toll portals the appropriate fee is added to the fare. After strong criticism of this increase in the price taxis were freed of 2 December 2008 to 15 January 2013 Salik fees, then the fee for taxi rides were reintroduced.