See, Sheikh Zayed Road here in Dubai is going to become a toll road on July 1. This is new for Dubai, and the system they have set up seems a little wacky. I think there are going to be some bugs.
As you can imagine that this is the talk of the town right now.
The toll system is called 'Salik' which means "open" or "clear" in Arabic. Sounds more like a blood parasite to me. The standard joke around town is that with this new toll Sheikh Zayed Road is now going to be clear, but all of the other roads are going to be jammed.
Now, I'm hardly an expert on toll collecting systems, I'm mostly used to the old-fashioned toll booth. Salik is going to be more like the E-ZPass electronic method, where you slow down as you pass under a gate and the toll is deducted electronically.
gulfnews.com
So no Toll Booth Willie saying, "Welcome to Garhoud. Dollar twenty-five please."
It's actually only $1.09, or 4 dirhams.
There are two tolling points - Al Garhoud Bridge and Sheikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates, around the corner from where we live.
gulfnews.com
The problem that most people have with this system is that Dubai is pretty much a one road town. Sheikh Zayed Road is at least four lanes in each direction, mostly six or seven lanes in each direction. The other roads, Beach Road, Al Wasl and Al Khail Road are only two lanes in each direction. There's not nearly the roadways available if everyone stops using Sheikh Zayed Road. It'll be gridlock and chaos on Beach Road and Al Wasl, and the sad part is that those two are already gridlocked and chaotic on a nightly basis.
The best part is that the Dubai Metro isn't done yet, and won't be until May of 2009 (Insha'Allah). So there's no alternate public transportation system in place. That right there shows the all-around excellent planning and forethought that's regular in Dubai.
Oh, sure, there's the bus system. But from what I've heard / been told, is woefully inadequate already. Buses aren't on time, and the routes don't cover much area.
Why can't Salik wait a year until the Metro is up and running? Is a year of bad press and piss and vitriol among the citizens worth it?
I see two options here. The first is that, since it starts during the quieter summer months, there'll be some hassles but things work fine ... until everyone comes back in the autumn and schools start. Then all hell breaks loose. People will get off Sheikh Zayed Road before the toll booth and then get back on after - I bet you. This will only cause more chaos than the roads are used to.
The other option? The wheels come off the bus at the start, leading HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to cancel Salik outright.
Personally? I'm not getting too worked up. I bet you when we return mid-August Salik will be no more ...
