The Impact of Salik on Traffic in the United Arab Emirates - Essay Example

Salik Feedback Salik Feedback My report is about how Salik enables shoppers at Al Ain to avoid traffic and reach their destinations in time. This report is about business, and I like the report because it enlightens me on how to reduce traffic jam in major cities of the world. Introduction The scope of my project is to access impact of Salik on traffic in United Arab Emirates. My report will include the city of Dubai and the people involved in my research are visitors travelling to various shopping centers and malls in Dubai. Research Problem Statement Traffic congestion is a major problem that affects a country’s economy directly or indirectly. Dubai is one such country where the problem has manifestation. The research I conducted aims at investigating the views of Al Ain mall (shoppers) to Dubai to whether SALIK is helpful in reducing traffic and time spent in reaching their destinations. The study conducted under the following guiding goals, establishing the achievements Salik has in terms of its goals. In addition, to assess the challenges parking system make and finally, to assess the concept of paying fees for driving in the streets of Dubai. Literature Review Discussion 1 In an article found on the internet (ITS International) affirms that SALIK has achieved most of its goals since its introduction to Dubai (ITS International , 2014). The digital tolling system has enabled visitor travelling to places like Al Ain mall to reduce the time they spend to reach their destinations (Al Ain Expat, 2012). Introduced in July 2007, SALIK has since reduced traffic jam in Dubai. The author asserts that SALIK has helped in the reduction of the time motorists take to access Dubai city from various parts of United Arab Emirates. The article explains that in a day, SALIK undertakes more than three million transactions. Likewise, the author highlights that the system has helped lower the traffic volume in Dubai by 22%. Consequently, it has increased traffic flow in Dubai significantly. Similarly, the article found on the internet (Set Up Salik For Dubai) also claims that SALIK has achieved most its goals its introduction in Dubai. The author advises motorists accessing various parts of Dubai to install SALIK to enhance their movement. It argues that SALIK applies modern technology to provide a smooth traffic flow in Dubai. The article also affirms that the system of paying fees for driving through Dubai is acceptable. According to the article, the system reduces toll fees for car drivers in Dubai. The system for paying taxes is efficient since it does not interfere with traffic flow. The article also explains that the system enables motorists to save a lot of time since they can easily pay their toll charges without stopping. Moreover, the concept of paying fees is acceptable because it lowers toll charges for car drivers. It eliminates the need for toll collectors thus, reducing the costs of collecting tolls in Dubai highways. The system of paying fees in Dubai also improves efficiency due to the high accessibility of the four toll gates. The toll gates in Dubai include Garhoud, Sheikh Zayed road Safa Park, Maktoum Bridge and Sheikh Zayed road after Mall of Emirates. Drivers passing through these gates use SALIK to pay for their toll fees without stopping thus increasing efficiency. Likewise, after conducting studies and research on Salik toll system in Dubai. Al Baik reported on an article published October 7 2007 that the system had not achieved any of its goals after a hundred days after its enforcement (Baik, 2007). The goals that it set to meet were ensuring a smooth traffic flow in Dubai and decreasing the number of cars on the roads. The report indicates how slow the implementation process took to be start. Al Baik argues in gulfnews.com article, published on 12 October 2014, that motorists in Dubai roads got surprised to find traffic cones being used to separate two lanes on major roads. The roads included Shaikh Zayed, Shaikh Rashid and Al Ittihad using the toll system. The abrupt installation of the barriers came about without proper explanations .The solution offered by the Roads and Transport Authority have an adverse effect on the environment and the economy according to the same report. The result of this is longer trips taken by those driving to Deira, who nearly triples the distance of their journey. Such is a challenge that the installation and implementation of the system brought about. 2 In his article, gulfnews.com article published on 12 October 2014, Al Baik points the challenges associated with the use of SALIK system in Dubai. He argues that despite solving most issues the system has not reduced traffic jams. The author claims that Salik has only made the traffic jam in Dubai worse. Besides, Al Baik argues that Salik makes consumers to pay heavily for services that do not reach them (Kazmi, 2013). He protests the introduction of Salik system in Dubai since it has only enabled the government to collect their target revenues from car drivers. The author for instance, claims that Salik system has led to traffic congestion of more than 100000 along the Sheikh Zayed road on a daily basis. Dubai’s Road and Transport Authority (RTA) published in their book the report published in the year 2008 that Salik toll, an integrated system established to discourage private car usage was successful .The system significantly managed to reduce the traffic in London and other cities as intended barely one year after its establishment. In another article, Emirates 24/7 The Road and Transport Authority chief also notes that Salik has been very triumphant in reducing congestion and number of journeys on the Dubai’s busiest highway, Sheikh Zayed Road (Traffic and Roads Agency, 2008). He justifies his arguments further disclosing that other studies conducted prove Saliks success in reducing the number of trips on the Sheikh Zayed Road by an approximate percentage of 44. The study gives an instance whereby the duration of the trip towards northward on the Zayed Road. In the peak time, from Dubai Marina to the Trade Centre fell from 35 minutes in 2007 before the performance of the initial stage of Salik to 20 minutes in the present. Mattar reports in the article Emirates 24/7 that the launch of the third phase of Salik tollgates system took place after conducting traffic studies of the first and second phases. Mattar is RTA’s chairperson of the Board and Executive Director particularly after the lapse of more than one year. The performance of the green line of the Dubai Metro and a duration more than three years since the incorporation of the Red line of the Dubai Metro. With the exhaustive consultations in place, the third face and the other faces, therefore, achieve the primary goals for their establishment. Phillippe Dauba Pantanance in Arabian Bussiness.com claims discriminatively that Salik is an indirect tax mechanism through a toll system .Dubai outlaws the use direct taxation within its boundaries hence the claim is a mockery to the system. However, the rare circumstances are an exception factored in .Such criticisms are a challenge that the toll implementation experienced .Embracing it with all the terms it came along with, that took a longer period hence the slower affection period noted. I view the system as being a success despite a few challenges that it came along with. It offers a solution to traffic congestion menace that is a problem derailing economic growth in several countries globally. I therefore recommend the system for the other counties all over the globe interested in sustaining and boosting their economic strengths. Bus traffic system has had traffic congestion problems for decades. That makes it unreliable and this problem cuts across to the cars that undergo the same menace. Dubai’s Metro is another form of spectacle designed to bring international media attention and tourism to the emirate, but in effect also operates as a form of welfare applying more evenly to the city’s residents (Vora, 2013). Salik toll system offers a solution by decongesting the cars hence offering a smooth traffic flow to the buses and other commercial vehicles. 3 In addition, Oxford business group asserts that Salik has brought several difficulties in Dubai (2008). He states that lack of knowledge on the proper usage of the system has caused many problems to car drivers in Dubai. Similarly, the report written by Oxford business highlights the difficulties Salik has brought to motorists in Dubai (Oxford Business Group, 2008). First, the system has made several drivers to pay huge fines due to simple mistakes. For example, the Salik system imposes fines on drivers passing through the toll gates without balancing their accounts. Moreover, author argues that operating Salik system requires expertise that most motorists in Dubai lack (Report: Dubai, 2008). He claims that most drivers are bound to commit mistakes while dealing with the system due to lack of proper training. Lack of skills can result to mistakes on the roads that increase road carnages. The silik toll has led to customers experiencing delays while travelling to destinations such as Al Ain mall. Summary In conclusion, I have discussed seven sources some of them article writers while others book authors. The most relevant article applicable to my research is ITs International. The article is important article because it highlights the positive impacts of Salik in the Dubais transport system. The article explains some of the achievements that the system has made since its introduction to Dubai in 2007. It also highlights why the concept of paying fees while driving in Dubai is acceptable. In my research, the article enables me to focus on the pros of using Silik to pay toll charges with the intention of reducing traffic. References Al Ain Expat. (2012). Set Up Salik For Dubai. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.alainexpat.com/index.php/how-to/set-up-salik-for-dubai/ Baik, D. (October 7, 2007). For whom the Salik bells toll. Gulfnews. Com. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/for-whom-the-salik-bells-toll-1.78704 ITS International. (16 September, 2014). Dubai’s Salik toll system wins International Toll Excellence Award. ITS International. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.itsinternational.com/categories/charging-tolling/news/dubais-salik-toll-system-wins-international-toll-excellence-award/ Kazmi, A. (October 13, 2013). Shoppers throng Al Ain markets for Eid shopping. Gulfnews. Com. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/shoppers-throng-al-ain-markets-for-eid-shopping-1.1242651 Oxford Business Group. (2008). Report: Dubai 2008. (2008). Oxford: Oxford Business Group Traffic and Roads Agency. (2006). Salik Road Toll in Dubai, UAE. Retrieved October 13, 2014 from http://www.dubaifaqs.com/salik.php Vora, N. (2013). Impossible Citizens: Dubais Indian Diaspora. Durham: Duke University Press. Read More