Dubai taxi passengers will have to pay Salik from January

Dubai: If there’s one thing that’s changed between four National Days in Dubai it’s the Salik toll for taxi passengers.

On December 2, 2008, they were exempt from paying the toll to coincide with the 37th National Day. But four years on, the Dh4 toll has been reintroduced.

Beginning mid-January, the Salik toll system will be fully automated as taxi meters will be upgraded in phases. The meter will automatically add Dh4 without any action by drivers. However, the use of the toll roads will be optional for passengers who will be asked beforehand if they prefer the Salik route or an alternative route.

Eisa Abdul Rahman Al Dosari, CEO of RTA’s Public Transport Agency, said: “The decision will be applied gradually as RTA staff will be working on upgrading taxi meters in a specific number of taxis on a daily basis starting from the middle of next month.”

The automated system has been developed to eliminate complaints by passengers about cheating by taxi drivers who added the charge manually. The scrapping of the toll in 2008 was prompted by the numerous complaints. But this time the automated D8 system, as the technology is called, promises a smoother – albeit more expensive – ride.

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