What is Salik? Who pays the Salik charges?

In the bustling city of Dubai, navigating its modern highways and thoroughfares comes with an additional aspect to consider. Salik is a system used to fund mass transit by charging motorists for using all roads in the city for a certain amount of time as an alternative to paying toll fees to use expressways. This arabic name translates to clear or open and it reflects its intention to provide efficiency and convenience in the mobility of commuters.

What is Salik?

Salik is Dubai’s electronic road toll collection system that aims to control the traffic and charge vehicles every time they use the tolls located on the roads and bridges in this city. One catches his/her fees in the system, which reduces the need to stop and pay by hand for the drivers.

How Does Salik Work?

Attached to the front windscreen of each car is a small, radio frequency identification chip called the Salik chip. This tag sends and receives data to and from overhead gantries containing sensors when the car is in proximity. Every time a car moves into one of the Salik toll zones, the specified amount is debited from the tag’s stored value.

Where are Salik Toll Gates Located?

Salik toll gates are established at prime locations and all the major arteries of the emirate of Dubai such as at Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Garhoud Bridge and others. Such places assist in controlling congestion since movement through price signals is efficiently controlled.

Who Bears the Salik Charges?

In the case of Salik charges, it is the owner of the vehicle who is charged fees attached to specific gates irrespective of the driver of the car. This implies that whether you are a resident or a visitor driving a rented car, you are the one that is responsible for making sure that the Salik tag has credit that can suffice the amount needed to pay for toll fees.

Dealing with Salik charges?

Regarding payment settlement and account recharging for traveling in and out of the toll zones in Dubai, the owners can do it through the official website or application of Salik. Through this platform one can easily add credit to the account, check for the history of transactions as well as modify account information.

Benefits of Salik

Besides contributing to traffic control, there are several advantages that go with Salik to the mutual benefit of the commuters. It helps to cut total travel time by avoiding congestion, aid infrastructure construction and maintenance through tolls’ revenues, and enhance the general fluidity of the roads in the city.

Conclusion

Driving through the streets of Dubai with Salik is a good indication and a brief look at what the city is doing for smart transport. Through the awareness of how Salik works and the proper compliance of toll payments, individuals that occupy the city or attend the city, implement their part to an efficient transit in one of the most bustling cities in the globe.