Abu Dhabi road tolls: online registration scheme goes live

Drivers with vehicles registered outside Abu Dhabi must pay Dh100 to sign up before road tolls are introduced in October

Abu Dhabi Police announced a discount scheme for minor traffic fines but have since clarified which offences must be paid in full. Chris Whiteoak / The National

UAE motorists can now register for a new road toll scheme coming into force in Abu Dhabi.

The Department of Transport announced plans to introduce charges on October 15 as part of efforts to cut congestion and help the environment.

A website to help commuters with cars registered outside the emirate is now live.

Drivers with vehicles registered in Abu Dhabi before October 15, 2019, will be automatically registered in the toll system without any charges. Users will receive a text message on the mobile number as registered with Abu Dhabi Police, along with the account details.

Any vehicle that is registered in Abu Dhabi after that date must be registered by the motorist who pays a charge of Dh100 - Dh50 as a registration fee and Dh50 to be credited to the account.

Non-Abu Dhabi motorists must also pay a Dh100 charge to register, with half of the money credited to their account.

Four toll gates will be placed at Al Maqta, Mussaffah, Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Khalifa bridges.

The website allows commuters to create an account, after which they must enter their Emirates ID number, the expiry date of the card, their licence plate details, as well as their email address and phone number.

Users must then create a password to enter their credit card details.

Once registered, drivers will be able to manage payments through an e-wallet accessible on their account.

On Monday, some drivers reported being unable to successfully register online.

The Department of Transport has not disclosed how Abu Dhabi motorists will be automatically registered on the system and when this will take place.

Abu Dhabi's new road tolls will operate similarly to the Salik scheme, in place in Dubai since 2007, in which drivers are charged every time they travel through a designated point.

Unlike the Salik toll, which has a flat rate of Dh4 charged on each occasion a driver passes through the tollgate, regardless of the time, there will be peak and off-peak charges.

Drivers will be charged Dh4 during the peak period of 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm, Saturday to Thursday.

A Dh2 off-peak fee will be charged outside of these times, as well as on Fridays and public holidays.

A maximum charge of Dh16 will be imposed per day, regardless of how many journeys through a tollgate a driver makes.

Drivers must register their vehicle details in the online system in advance of the scheme coming into effect. A grace period of 10 business days will be given, from the crossing time, to register in the system, after which motorists will be fined Dh100 for the first day, Dh200 for the second day, and Dh400 for the third and subsequent days, up to a maximum of Dh10,000.