Just been doing some back-of-envelope calculations based on my own journey to work.
Via Shk Zayed Road, through Interchange 4 and over Garhoud Bridge - Salik x2, additional 8 dirhmas each way
Via Al Khail Road and Business Bay Bridge - 9kms further each way, x1 litre of petrol, add 6.25 Dhs each way
My journey time is almost exactly the same, but the extra wear and tear, service costs and depreciation on my car will certainly be more than the 1.75 Dhs difference. And that takes no account of the extra pollution produced.
Reality - it's probably cheaper for me to use the Toll road. Though doing so sticks in my craw, and is sadly another entry on the distaff side of my love/hate relationship with this city. Why, oh why, do these idiots get given public office?
Congratulations, RTA. You're Dhs 600 million better off. Your customers, the driving public, are frustrated, inconvenienced and out of pocket, pollution and congestion both increase, countless man-hours are lost in pointless and unnecessary travel, and the reputation of Dubai is irreperably damaged in the eyes of the world.
imbeSalik, indeed.
21 June, 2007
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12 comments:
really this is rubbish at the one end they are implementing Salik to encourage car pooling(which is illegal) and at the other banned public transport..
http://gulfnews.com/nation/Traffic_and_Transport/10133648.html
seriously if dubai intentions is to get rid of poor S.Asian simply announce at the media plz guys leave UAE we dont want anymore services of poor,dirty,sub-standard ppl of S.asians,by doing this millions of ppl explore other options which they wrongly thought UAE will fulfill their dreams.
I have a proposal. Everyone in the UAE Community blog and the UAE. No one should refer to Salik by any name but 'Halik'.
I think it would a lot more fitting.
"Reputation" is not what counts, it's the economy. And if the economy is more appealing here for people to live here, then they will continue doing so, Salik or no Salik. Not only that, but more people will be moving here.
this country is starting 2 really dissapoint me and i believe many othr ppl 2. how the hell will this make traffic smoother? r ppl gonna sell their cars? or use alternative transport like the helicopter? lol this will never work n dxb will soon fail unfortunately.
Actually, flying a chopper to-from work is almost as expensive as driving a car. The only real problem is the permits, which are next to impossible to get (and probably are prohibitively expensive).
I looked it up :)
Petrol is Dh. 6.25 per gallon, not per litre. That changes your calculations quite a bit.
tell me why isnt it legitimate for the RTA to look after its interest and to try to self sustain itself, and cover its costs? (esp knowing the the toll payments are not a dubai invention! its everywhere in the world
^^ Because they think that they expect everything to be free in Dubai.
anon@3.42
It's because they lie to us. They present imbeSalik as a 'congestion charge', but it isn't. if the RTA wants to raise a ton of money, they can do it by a massive increase in the vehicle registration costs. People will whinge, but ultimately accept because if you can't afford it then you can't have a vehicle. The problem with imbeSalik is that it will drive enormous amounts of traffice onto roads that cannot cope with it - Al Wasl Rd and Jumeirah Rd spring to mind.
RTA have completely lost the plot here.
What I dont understand is the RTA says it will encourage "carpooling" like my ass it will! These are the same people who accused/fined 4 ladies who were all car pooling of car lifiting because they all worked nearby and chose not to take seperate cars.(btw this was published in gulfnews like 4-5 months ago). And anyway no matter what we say no matter we do Salik will still be there and we'll just have to deal with it. But I still have some hope of Shk Mohammed stepping in and doing something as similar to what he did with the Jumeirah beach construction wall; bit of a long shot but what the heck!
Wikipedia:
A salik is a person who enganged in Islamic spiritual path or sufism. The word derived from Arabic word suluk, which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God). To become a salik, one must follow both the outer path (exoterism, shariah) and the inner path (esoterism, haqiqa) of Islam virtuously.
"which means to walk a (spiritual) path (to God)"
I dont see Garhoud bridge or Interchage 4 leading to any place remotely close to "(spiritual) path (to God)".
They could've come up with a better name ATLEAST!
"I dont see Garhoud bridge or Interchage 4 leading to any place remotely close to "(spiritual) path (to God)"."
Unless you get involved in one of those wonderful accidents that happen about once a week, there, and then you may indeed find yourself on the way to meet the almighty ; )
But yes, as a name it's rubbish, much like the system.
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