Road tolls update :: Emirates Today

Emirates Today follows up on some basic questions concerning implementation of tolls in Dubai.
Purpose:

if the main purpose of Dubai’s proposed road toll system is to reduce traffic congestion, residents might pay different rates at different times of the day, depending on the volume of traffic.

“Toll systems can perform a number of functions,” said Josef Czako, director of international business development at Kapsch, one of the three companies to submit a bid for a Dubai Municipality tender for the project in April this year.

. . . “They can finance new infrastructure, help manage traffic flow, reduce negative environmental impacts, or enforce a combination of all these,” said Czako, explaining that how the system is implemented would depend on what goals the authorities want to see on the roads.

Flexible tariffs with higher rates during peak hours might be on the cards if spreading out traffic is the major concern for Dubai’s authorities, he said.

Collection:

Whatever the goals, it is important that the toll system in place does not create additional traffic build-up, said Czako. “The toll charging scheme should not create any congestion,” he said.

The most basic form of toll collection involves drivers stopping at toll gates and handing out cash to collectors, Czako said.

However, with a capacity of only 200-300 cars per lane per hour, this system can cause traffic build-up and delays, he added.

“Looking at Dubai, I cannot imagine having this on the road,” he said, as Dubai’s roads have no space to fit the booths that would be required.

My emphasis.