Abu Dhabi to roll out road tolls from January 2, 2021
Abu Dhabi is set to roll out road tolls from January 2, 2021 onwards.
The emirate’s public transport provider, the Department of Municipalities and Transport’s integrated transport centre (ITC), has urged residents to activate their online accounts through the dedicated website darb.itc.gov.ae, or through the Darb mobile app.
At first, the Darb Toll Gate system will be activated in four locations: Sheikh Zayed Bridge, the Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge, Al Maqtaa Bridge and Musaffah Bridge. It will aim to smoothen traffic flow, encourage the use of public transport and enhance the efficiency of the capital’s road network.
Collection times
The Dh4 toll will be collected only during peak hours from Saturday to Thursday, from 7am to 9am, and again from 5pm to 7pm. There will be no toll on Fridays and on public holidays.
Toll caps
In order to minimise the impact on road users, the maximum daily toll for each vehicle will be capped at Dh16. In addition, a monthly cap of Dh200 will apply for the first vehicle on a user’s account, along with a cap of Dh150 on the second vehicle, and Dh100 on all additional vehicles. As for corporate-owned vehicles, there will, however, be no daily or monthly toll cap.
Online payment system
Once users top up their online accounts, the toll will be deducted directly after the user passes a toll gate, with the toll gate system capturing vehicle plate numbers. The Darb Toll Gate system has an initial vehicle registration fee of Dh100 per vehicle, of which, Dh50 will be credited back to the registered account.
Exemptions
Requests for exemptions can be filed for: Senior citizens aged 60 and above; retired citizens; people of determination; and citizens with limited income.
The exemption will be limited to one vehicle only. However, the exempted categories need to visit the Darb website, register in the system, and apply for exemption requests by specifying the type of exemption and attaching the necessary documents.
Grace period to avoid fines
Darb registration is mandatory for all users, including those eligible for exemptions. All vehicles must be registered in the system before crossing the toll gates. In case a vehicle is not registered in the system and crosses through the toll gates, the user will be given a grace period of 10 business days to register the vehicle. Otherwise, a fine shall be applied.
Users should also ensure sufficient balance in their accounts when crossing the toll gates. However, the vehicles registered in Abu Dhabi can pay toll through a post-payment system, upon initiating any procedure related to vehicle licensing in case the registered vehicle does not have sufficient balance.
In case the vehicle registered outside Abu Dhabi crosses the gates with insufficient balance in the wallet, the user will be given a grace period of five business days to recharge the account. Otherwise, a fine shall be applied.
