Dubai: If you thought that you can escape the burden of paying for Salik by having your food delivered, think again.
Some restaurants in Dubai are now charging customers a Salik fee for crossing one or more toll gates when delivering food. The extra charge is added on to the customer’s bill in addition to a separate delivery charge.
A Gulf News reader who asked to remain anonymous said she was shocked to see an additional charge of Dh8 for two Salik trips on the bill after having food delivered to her workplace.
The Ministry of Economy in Dubai has confirmed that restaurants are required to inform customers in advance about Salik charges added to the bill – otherwise, it is the right of consumers not to pay for the full amount.
Like many others, the reader, who works on Shaikh Zayed Road, said she ordered a meal worth Dh40 from Lebanese restaurant Al Safadi. She claimed that she was not notified about the extra charge over the phone even after she inquired about the price of the meal she had ordered. “The receipt listed the price of the meal as Dh40, and an additional Dh8 below for passing two Salik toll gates,” she said.
After receiving her food, the reader called the restaurant to inquire about the extra Salik charge. “The person on the phone told me that it was only Dh8, and referred to it as a ‘small amount’,” she explained. The reader was not given her money back.
Gulf News talked to the restaurant spokesperson who said that the additional Salik charge is a newly implemented policy. The spokesperson said that the new policy was adopted almost three months ago, and is in line with government regulations. He explained that the extra fee is only added if the route taken to the delivery destination includes one or more Salik toll gates.
Yousuf Ali Hassan, Deputy Manager at the Ministry of Economy in Dubai, told Gulf News that additional Salik charges to a delivery bill are legal, but if customers are not informed about them in advance, then they are not required to pay for it.
“Salik charges are applied the same way as delivery charges, and customers should know in advance what they are paying for. If they are not, they can either refuse to pay for the additional Salik charges, or not pay for the bill and lodge a complaint with the Consumer Protection Department,” said Hassan.
A number of other restaurants are also reportedly charging Salik in case their delivery boys have to pass through Salik toll gates. A motorist has to pay Dh4 each time he passes through a Salik toll gate.
The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) said that such cases have to be raised with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai.
Consumers can file their complaints through consumerrights@dubaided.gov.ae, Ahlan Dubai on +971 600 545555, or contact the department at twitter @Dubai_DED.
