UAE | Traffic and Transport
First Salik violator spotted
Half a minute after midnight, Mohammad Ahmed Hakim, in his Nissan Altima, drove through the toll gate on Garhoud towards Sharjah, minus the Salik tag.
- By Sunita Menon, Staff Reporter
- Published: 01:43 July 1, 2007
- The first car to cross Al Barsha Toll Gate at midnight on Sunday.
- Image Credit: Atiq-ur-Rehman/Gulf News
Dubai: Half a minute after midnight, Mohammad Ahmed Hakim, 23, a UAE national in his Nissan Altima drove through the Salik toll gate on Garhoud towards Sharjah, minus the Salik tag.
He became the first Salik violator not once but twice yesterday within a span of 20 minutes, but declined to be photographed.
"I was waiting on the roadside and exactly at midnight I drove under the toll gates. After I crossed the first toll gate I drove all the way to the Airport Road, came back on the other side of Garhoud and crossed the toll gate installed near the Grand Hyatt."
The Salik toll system went operational at midnight yesterday. Motorists were seen rushing to the Emarat petrol station located near the toll gate towards Sharjah at Garhoud to buy the Salik tag before the toll gate went operational. Violators will be fined Dh 100.
"I brought a Salik tag form the Emarat petrol station but was told by the counter staff that even if I get the tag pasted on my vehicle windscreen I will be fined. They told me that it could take 10 days before I get myself registered.
"That was it. I then decided to just violate the toll rule. My friends called me crazy but I just did it. I even waited to pay the fine at one of the toll gates installed towards Dubai on Garhoud, but no official showed up. Now I will have to find out whether I was fined and for how much.''
In reply to a query when he would make use of the Salik tag, Mohammad said: "From tomorrow.''
A couple of motorists who had made the last-minute purchase of the Salik tag said that they were hoping that the toll will be postponed.
They said that they would make use of the toll gates while going to work but would prefer taking alternative routes while heading back home in the evening.
"What needs to be seen is whether or not the toll system is successful in bringing down the traffic congestion on Dubai roads. If that is not happening, then the authorities should rethink on the efficacy of the toll system,"said Marwan Ali, a Palestinian resident of Sharjah.
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