After hearing about the two new Salik toll gates opening this month, Dubai drivers are worried about rising travel costs. Many are now adjusting their budgets to account for these extra expenses.
The new Salik gates Business Bay gate and Al Safa South gate will start charging drivers on November 24. The Business Bay gate is located at the Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road, while the Al Safa South gate is on Sheikh Zayed Road, between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street. With these additions, there will be a total of 10 Salik gates in Dubai.
Jordanian expat Mohammed AbuNael, who works in marketing, is one of those needing to rethink his transport budget. He currently spends about Dh350 each month on Salik fees since he drives over 80km daily.
“When I have time, I take Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road to avoid Salik charges. Usually, I go through Ittihad Road or the Airport Tunnel Road. On Ittihad Road, I pay about Dh12 for three gates, and on Airport Tunnel Road, I pay Dh4, but it can be more if I go through Al Safa gate on Sheikh Zayed Road,” he explained.
AbuNael estimates that his monthly Salik costs might increase to over Dh500. “I’ll need to set aside an extra Dh150 to Dh200 for the new tolls,” he said.
Exploring Other Routes
Shorouq Saleem, a 37-year-old Syrian expat, expressed his frustration as well. “I often use the Business Bay bridge to get onto Al Khail Road. I drive from Al Twar area, taking the Airport Tunnel and then joining Business Bay,” Saleem said. “Now, instead of paying one Salik fee, I have to pay two. This will greatly increase my costs. I’ve been trying different routes, but I know they’ll get more crowded once the new gates open.”
Saeed Shah, who lives in Al Nahda, Sharjah, has also attempted to avoid the toll gates but found it leads to other costs. “I’ve been testing alternate routes, but I’m using more fuel by avoiding Salik,” Shah noted.
“I tried taking the Airport Tunnel toward Ras Al Khor, then to Meydan and onto Al Khail Road to reach my office in Al Quoz. Another route was from Airport Tunnel to Mustaqbal Street, which connects to the first Al Khail Road without going over the Business Bay Bridge. But these routes waste fuel because of traffic signals and congestion,” he explained.
Will Traffic Improve?
As AbuNael adjusts his Salik budget, he hopes these changes will help ease traffic on busy roads. “With more gates, I hope traffic will shift to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, reducing congestion on Airport Tunnel Road, which connects to Al Khail via Business Bay Crossing,” he said.
