UAE | Traffic and Transport
Hotel managers to count the cost of Salik
Hotels on Shaikh Zayed Road are sceptical of the effects of the road toll system, saying that it will attribute to an increase in transportation costs and may discourage customers from visiting.
- By Mariam M. Al Serkal, Staff Reporter
- Published: 00:00 June 13, 2007
- Signs informing drivers about the toll gate near Garhoud Bridge.
- Image Credit: Asghar Khan/Gulf News
Dubai: Hotels on Shaikh Zayed Road are sceptical of the effects of the road toll system, saying that it will attribute to an increase in transportation costs and may discourage customers from visiting.
Warwick Janes, General Manager of Metropolitan Hotel said that Salik will not only affect the business of the hotel but customers as well because the roads in Jumeirah will be blocked as a result of motorists using it as an alternative route.
"Customers coming from Jumeirah will not venture out to us because they would think twice before coming, since most of the traffic congestion will be diverted to Al Wasl Road and it will become gridlocked," he said.
Salik will have an impact on suppliers delivering goods, which include food and beverages, which will further increase the hotel's costs, according to Janes.
"The suppliers are going to pass the costs on to the hotel, and this will add to the cost of transporting customers to and from the hotel. So there are costs whichever way you look at it," he said, noting that the road toll will add to all the costs of hotels in Dubai.
"It has not been studied enough, and although it is not a bad idea I think the metro system should be running up first so that guests and staff will have an alternative method of transport," said Janes.
Hotels will also have to bear the extra cost of transporting guests to and from the airport.
"We do not know whether guests will be charged at this point, but we are sure that the cost of transporting staff will increase," said Mustafa Ainen, General Manager of Media Rotana Hotel, one of the new hotels to open in Media City, explaining how the hotel's transportation expenses will increase.
All the branches of Rotana Hotel in Dubai will be affected by the road toll, which will lead to an increase in transportation expenses, according to Ainen.
Michael Francis, Marketing and Communication Manager at Dusit Hotel Dubai, agreed that transportation costs will rise for the hotel.
"The management team will definitely get affected and will have to pay out from their expense. We have not tackled this issue yet, but if we have to collect our guests from the airport and pass through the toll we will pay the costs," said Francis, who noted that an alternative route such as the Business Bridge may be opted for.
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