Motorists will be exempt from all planned Abu Dhabi road toll charges for the rest of the year, it was announced on Monday. The move came as part of an economic stimulus package released by the Abu Dhabi Executive Council aimed at offsetting the financial impact of Covid-19. The announcement listed a series of initiatives designed to help support the emirate’s economy, including “exempting all vehicles from traffic tariff from road tolls to the end of 2020”. In January, four tolls along main roads leading in to and out of the city briefly went live before being suspended after residents cited difficulties in registering their vehicles. A three-month grace period was then introduced, with charges expected to be reinstated from late March or early April this year. Under the scheme, road users were expected to have to pay Dh4 when driving through the tolls between 7am and 9am and 5pm to 7pm, Saturday to Thursday. A maximum fee of Dh16 was levied against commuters in any one day. On Monday, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, said authorities would continue to "navigate market fluctuations" to protect and maintain the national economy. “I’ve discussed with officials in Abu Dhabi the current economic and business climate,” he tweeted. “The existing stimulus programmes in Abu Dhabi and those launched recently by the Central Bank and local governments are the solid pillars that will support and protect the UAE's economic stability.”
