This is where Dubai’s new Salik gates will be located

Image courtesy: Bloomberg/ Getty Images

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has assigned toll gate operator Salik to install two new gates to optimise traffic flow and reduce congestion within the city.

The new gates will be located at Business Bay Crossing on Al Khail Road, and Al Safa South on Sheikh Zayed Road between Al Meydan Street and Umm Al Sheif Street.

The gates will manage traffic distribution and reduce congestion by rerouting some traffic to alternative routes with greater capacity, facilitating smoother and more efficient travel for all motorists in Dubai.

Salik said the new gates, which are set to commence operations by November 2024, will increase its total number of toll gates from eight to ten. Similar to Al Mamzar North and South, Al Safa South will be linked with the existing Al Safa gate (Al Safa North), whereby commuters will be charged only once if they pass through the two gates within one hour in the same direction.

The two locations have been selected based on extensive traffic movement studies by Dubai’s transport authority.

“The addition of new toll gates in two increasingly busy locations marks the latest milestone in the growth plan that we set out at the time of Salik’s initial public offering,” said Ibrahim Sultan Al Haddad, CEO of Salik.

“In line with Dubai’s Urban Plan 2040, which focuses on sustainable and efficient urban growth, we are directly supporting RTA’s objective to optimise travel time and alleviate traffic congestion.”

Salik’s concession with RTA

Under the agreement with RTA, Salik will oversee the essential civil works required for the construction, operation, and maintenance of the toll gates. The toll operator will acquire the exclusive right to operate the gates until June 2071.

The RTA expects the Business Bay Crossing gate to assist in improving traffic congestion by 12-15 per cent on Al Khail Road, reducing traffic volume by 10-16 per cent on Al Rabat Street, and redistributing traffic to Al Maktoum and Al Garhoud bridges and Ras Al Khor Street.

Similarly, Al Safa South is expected to reduce right-turn traffic volume from Sheikh Zayed Road to Meydan Street by 15 per cent and optimise traffic flow on Financial Centre, First Al Khail, and Al Asayel Street.

With the launch of the new gates, Salik expects to see an increase in annual revenue-generating trips.

The toll operator partnered with Emaar Malls in December to deliver a parking management system at Dubai Mall, a deal that is expected to diversify its revenue streams and ease traffic for visitors.

The company’s Q3 revenue jumped by 14.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to Dhs509m. Toll usage revenue, which represents 87.1 per cent of Salik’s total revenue, surged 14.6 per cent YoY, the highest third-quarter performance since the toll operator commenced operations in 2007.

Read: Dubai Mall revamps parking with Salik’s platform