How many Salik toll gates are in Dubai and how much does a tag cost?

There are eight gates installed on busy roads in Dubai

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  Vehicles pass under a toll gate on Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai. AP

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  Motorists are required to have a tag on the windscreen of their car and an online account to use the high-speed motorway. Victor Besa / The National

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  Drivers are charged Dh4 ($1.09) for each gate that they pass through. There are eight gates at present, but Salik's IPO prospectus says that more could be built. The National

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  Signs warn drivers that they need a tag on their vehicle to use this road. Jaime Puebla / The National

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  Ibrahim Al Haddad is the chief executive of Salik. Photo: Salik

Toll gates are a familiar sight for Dubai residents, with eight installed on busy roads in the emirate in an effort to reduce congestion.

Here is everything you need to know about how the Salik toll system works and where you can expect to see new gates.

Where are toll gates found in Dubai?

The Salik electronic system was introduced in 2007 to ease congestion on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Tags fixed to windscreens can be purchased online or at service stations. These can be topped up online or through recharge cards.

Motorists are charged Dh4 ($1.09) to pass through each gate and the amount is deducted automatically from the card. The toll gates are at the following locations:

• Al Barsha
• Al Garhoud
• Al Maktoum
• Al Mamzar South
• Al Mamzar North
• Al Safa
• Airport Tunnel
• Jebel Ali

Why were tolls introduced in Dubai?

The Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai said the move was to ease traffic on the very busy Sheikh Zayed Road and raise state revenue.

When a toll gate was introduced in Jebel Ali, transport officials said it could reduce traffic by about 25 per cent. The RTA also wants more vehicles funnelled out to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road (311) and Emirates Road (611).

How much does a Salik tag cost?

Motorists must pay Dh100 for a tag, but this includes Dh50 in credit that is added to an account when activated. If you buy it online, an additional charge of Dh20 applies.

What are the fines for passing through a Salik gate without credit?

If you pass through the toll gate with insufficient balance in your account, you have a grace period of five working days to recharge. Failure to do so will result in fines of Dh50 a day.

The Jebel Ali Salik gate is the most recent one installed in Dubai. Victor Besa / The National

What happens if you don’t have a tag and drive through a toll gate?

Motorists have a grace period of 10 working days from the first trip to install a Salik tag. After this expires, a fine of Dh100 is imposed on the next trip, which keeps increasing with every time you pass.

More information on the penalties can be found on the RTA website.

Will there be new gates?

There had been speculation on social media in recent days over potential plans to add further gates along key arteries such as the E311 after people noticed the IPO being advertised on road signs.

According to news agency Wam, Salik chairman Mattar Al Tayer of the Roads and Transport Authority said that any decision to expand the road toll system or add further gates will depend on the outcomes of the transport strategy being constantly revised by the RTA.

New toll gates can also be added subject to the council’s approval, once the Roads and Transport Authority conducts a “comprehensive traffic study in co-ordination with Salik”, Ibrahim Al Haddad, Salik's chief executive, told The National in an interview on Tuesday.

“Today we have an opportunity to add a gate because of traffic needs and we have provided alternatives … the plan from an engineering standpoint is ready,” Mr Al Haddad said.

“The timing to add a new gate will be subject to final approval.”