Road toll experiment in Dubai

If you have not known by now, Dubai is tax-free and by tax-free I mean that we get our salary without any deductions. Gross = Net. Pretty cool, considering this is a hot country…stupid line I know.

But alas all that glitters is not gold. The forefront of having tax-free lifestyle is too good to be true. Residents are bombarded with problems of rising house rents, deteriorating expat package, school fee hike every year, rising cost of living, among other headaches. Some are already packing their bags, ready to head home. Now, the government is adding salt to the already open wounds of those who chose to stay behind.

The road toll, known as Salik, has been introduced by the Road and Traffic Authority (RTA) in two points, one on Al Garhoud Bridge and the other is on Sheikh Zayed Road near Mall of the Emirates. The authority says it is aimed to control the flow of traffic and ease congestion. The project is also expected to raise 600 million dirhams (USD164 million) annually.

Control the flow of Dubai traffic? Yeah right, convince me. The second reason seems to be like it.

Note: This is how the new road toll works.