Imbesalik
Hint to the wise brethren of the RTA: shifting gridlock from one location to another is not actually solving gridlock.
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22 Comments:
Oh - and thanks to this far wiser person for the title ;)
According to my Emirates Airlines driver this morning (who didn't have a Salik tag), the system is still not working, and won't start up until 3rd July at the earliest.
Even wiser that the Telecoms Regulatory Authority have implemented a road toll scheme :-)
lol...funny how RTA "Solved" traffic congestion in Dubai...
Even wiser that the Telecoms Regulatory Authority have implemented a road toll scheme :-)
Oops - fixed, thanks! Though it may as well have been the TRA trying to solve the traffic given how useless the RTA is ;)
Wow, what a surprise, the roads where the toll points are have less traffic. Fancy that eh? Wow. It works. Etc.
Let's not mention the relatively minor problem that 7 lanes worth of traffic from SZR is now jamming every road around Barsha.
It was all so blindingly obvious this would happen.
And the RTA will of course trumpet the success on SZR and make sure the newspapers keep hushed about the fact everything from Media City to Mall of Emirates is at a standstill.
Complete idiots, the lot of them. And obviously idiots who live on SZR and not in the Greens, Springs or Emirates Hills.
Dubai has not just failed spectacularly in building infrastructure and public transport to deal with the city's growth, it has then gone and implemented the world's most pathetic attempt at congestion control.
Better stick to building posh hotels and hosting fancy horse races. Leave the role of being a business centre to places like Singapore that actually know what they're doing.
yeah traffic is horrible in other 'alternate' routes..but give it a month or so and everybody will be back on SZR. in the end motorist will give in to the evil salik...and tra will collect their gold...
RTA or TRA, it doesn't matter, they're the two organisations doing the most to damage Dubai's future.
The RTA said the plan was to remove 25% of the traffic from SZR, and I guess they've achieved that, and more.
The obvious fact that it was going to choke every other road and make the overall situation worse was a thought too far for them.
The RTA's problem is a PR one. After observing things myself now, I am confident that the result will be semi-reasonable. At least, what is planned.
There are alternate roads, but no one is using them. So, you need to force them. People respond to incentives as the Emirates Economist (http://emirateseconomist.blogspot.com/) likes to say. Well, they do. Tell them you're going to be AED 4/- every time you cross the toll and they will run for cover.
Well, some of them will. What the RTA is saying is, 25% of those on SZR will not be able to afford the AED 8/day toll for using SZR.
Right now, it would appear that 10% of the people are using SZR, as opposed to the expected 75% of traffic. This number will gradually increase -- and hopefully to their proposed 75% of pre-Salik traffic.
None of this is being communicated to the public in an intelligible manner.
I highly doubt that the RTA folks are completely unaware of what was going to happen, since everyone was able to quickly point it out.
The question is: who is responsible for their PR?
RTA's problem is a PR one? The only thing Dubai and its factotums are good at is PR. I moved in to Dubai from a fairly good lifestyle to zero life in Dubai in 2006 with high salaries which in any case all gets spent there itself ( this is the catch no one realises). It was all about waking up early, struggle through shit traffic to get to office in spite of living a mere 8 minutes drive from SZR ( most days it was 45 minutes to an hour). And working 9 to 10 hrs in office. ANd then struggle to get home. and not have any friend willing to meet in evenings due to the shit traffic. so work, eat drive, sleep summarises the week.
You guys have all lived in this shit too long to even realise people in other countries often lead far better quality of life. Dubai is definitely not the end of the world. Whoever realises this will move on and out of Dubai. If you are any good. As I did. Dont get caught by the Dubai PR. Today I lead a superb life, and believe it or not, save 5 times what i used to save in Dubai.
"The RTA said the plan was to remove 25% of the traffic from SZR, and I guess they've achieved that, and more."
They could have easily acheive this without any expenditure. All they had to do was allow car pooling! This would made the place greener (reduced exhaust smoke/noise/etc ) as well since it would have actually reduced the number of vehicles on the road unlike salik, which diverts the traffic to other roads. Plus the added risk of exposing the ppl to unnecessary radition.
>>Today I lead a superb life, and believe it or not, save 5 times what i used to save in Dubai<<
Where do you live now? I think I need to move there! :)
Wow, do I ever love this blog. Unfailingly good.
Anon 16:54, I could not agree with your PR comment any more - Dubai itself is an example of great PR.
But while I agree that there is zero quality of life, I am surprised to hear that you can't save...we are saving quite a lot in the two years we are 'serving'. I'm from Toronto and while the general costs are lower there than here, the tax negates much of your savings...May I ask where you live now?
Sorry folks, but 38 minutes from Emirates Towers to Ajman speaks volumes for the wisdom of RTA in making roads clear for Northern Commuters, whereas the Southerners will crave the peace of the North Country!
Thank you RTA for this discriminatory action against Southerners who are renowned for always whining!
Yes, I also 'heard' that the system was not actually working yet, but should be by today.
Salik has done a great job in clearing the gridlock from the highly visible Sheikh Zayed Rd (along which visiting dignitaries are rushed to and from AD).
Who cares that it's pushed the nightmare onto the back streets of The Greens / Al Barsha where all those pesky expats live? Sod them -(government-run) Emaar's got their money so who cares if they leave?
Viva the RTA!
well yesterday, my mum decided to beat the rush and get her account recharged in lump sum rather than waiting till their system is blocked with everyone recharging at the same time.
Well no-one had a clue as to how to go about that. They said that option wasn't functional yet and would probably start the next day.
RTA or TRA, it doesn't matter, they're the two organisations doing the most to damage Dubai's future.
Exactly. Either way you look at it...
...it's still a RAT....
"Mattar Al Tayer, chairman of the board and executive director of the RTA, said in a conference a few weeks ago that Salik will only generate US$163.2m annually, while the total cost of Dubai's roadway projects will be ten times as much." ArabianBusiness.com, 8 July 2007
This statement is warming us up for the privatisation of all major roads in the region. With subsequent tolls all over the place.
So it appears that the stuff that bubbles up out of the ground and has so far paid for, either directly or indirectly, the development of the UAE does not, obviously, belong to the people of the UAE. Otherwise why would the comment be made that the new Salik does not collect enough money to pay for the roads expansion programme that is being planned?
Maybe this is because the people in charge don't like seeing their margins being eroded by an increase in overheads in the operating costs of UAE Inc and its subsidary operations Dubai L.L.C.
>>Dont get caught by the Dubai PR. Today I lead a superb life, and believe it or not, save 5 times what i used to save in Dubai.
>>Where do you live now? I think I need to move there! :)
Thank God for that! That's what 's going to clear up the roads of Dubai... do us the favor plz and 'clear up' ur shit from our country!!
More on Tolls
www.biasedgas.blogspot.ae
"Plus the added risk of exposing the ppl to unnecessary radition."
Radiation? Radiation has nothing to do with it! DUH
Why do they not allow car pooling? and Why didn't they start building the Metro years ago? They certainly had the money!
Also, knowing somebody in the field, most of the metro would already be operational by now if they had decided to build it underground!
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