Dubai: Why Salik toll gates will soon look different

The iconic red-and-metallic-grey Salik gates are familiar landmarks for UAE residents, with many passing under them multiple times in a day. However, the classic colour scheme will soon make way for something more dynamic, with one toll gate already sporting the new look.

Salik recently underwent a brand refresh exercise as part of its journey to becoming a Public Joint Stock Company.

At the Garhoud Salik gate, dark gray has replaced the red. The new brand identity will be rolled out across the remaining gates in “due course”, Salik said on Monday.

All eight gates will soon feature the new look, a spokesperson confirmed to Khaleej Times. Here is how the Mamzar toll gate looks currently:

Long-term residents would remember the time when the Salik gates used to sport yellow, black and white colours emblazoned on a light pink board:

Salik is Dubai’s automatic road toll collection system. Each time a vehicle passes through a Salik toll point, a fee of Dh4 is automatically deducted from a prepaid account.

Salik on Monday said it will sell 1.5 billion shares — or 20 per cent of its equity capital — through an initial public offering (IPO). The company announced on Monday that it is likely to list on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) around September 29.

The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) had launched the Salik road-toll system in 2007. There are currently three million registered vehicles, out of which 1.8 million are in Dubai.

More gates could be added to ease up traffic. “The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) could implement dynamic pricing through optimising the toll rates depending on the time of the day, for example, by charging a higher toll fee for specific lanes or during peak hours," Salik said in its IPO announcement.

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• Dubai