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

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.

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:

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).

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.

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 

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.

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