Revealed: How many vehicles cross Dubai's Salik toll gates daily

Motorists in the UAE are increasingly using Dubai’s toll gate Salik as it not only saves time but also fuel costs.

A total of 481 million road trips were recorded last year, averaging 1.317 million vehicle trips per day across eight Salik toll gates that dot the emirate’s busiest corridors, mainly Sheikh Zayed Road, according to the road toll operator prospectus released on Monday.

In the first half of 2022, the number of vehicles using toll gates reached 267 million, which amounts to 1.475 million vehicle trips per day. If the number of vehicle trips continues at this average, they will reach 538.37 million this whole year, which is an increase of nearly 12 per cent from last year.

Starting September 13, the road toll operator will sell 1.5 billion shares or a 20 per cent stake in the company and list on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) later this month as part of the Dubai government’s aim to increase local stock market capitalization to Dh3 trillion.

In June, Salik was spun off into a public joint stock company and was given legal, financial and administrative autonomy to carry out its activities and achieve its objectives.

Salik enjoys a 92 per cent customer satisfaction rate, thanks to its brand strategy and forward-thinking culture.

Dubai’s road toll system is a critical asset for the Emirate, in a City where the car is the preferred mobility mode, with more than 60 per cent of commuters using private cars, thereby not competing but complementing other public transport infrastructure.

Currently, each time a vehicle passes through a Salik toll point, a fee of Dh4 is automatically deducted from a prepaid account. Insurance firm Budget Direct said last year that roads toll in the UAE are cheaper than in most developed countries such as Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, China, Sweden, USA, Canada, Netherlands, Australia, Germany, the UK and others.

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