Abu Dhabi to introduce minimum speed limits on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road

Motorists face Dh400 fine for driving under 120kph from April

The new rules come into effect from April and the application of fines will be enforced from May 1. Photo: Abu Dhabi Police

Abu Dhabi is set to introduce minimum speed limits on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road.

General Ahmed Saif bin Zaytoun Al Muhairi, director of Central Operations Sector at Abu Dhabi Police, said the minimum speed on the first and second lanes from the left will be 120kph, while the maximum speed remains at 140kph.

Motorists, who drive below 120kph on the first two lanes of the four-lane highway that links Abu Dhabi and Dubai, will be fined Dh400.

Abu Dhabi Police made the announcement on their social media channels on Thursday afternoon.

“The goal of the low-speed activation is to ensure the safety of drivers, to require slow vehicles to move on the right lanes and to always make way for vehicles with preference coming from behind or from the left,” Gen Al Muhairi said.

The third lane with a speed of 140kph and the last lane for use by heavy vehicles will not include minimum speed violations, police confirmed.

The new rules come into effect from April and the application of fines will be enforced from May 1.

The Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Road, named in honour of the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, opened in November 2016.

The 62-kilometre motorway, built at a cost of Dh2.1 billion, shares traffic with Sheikh Zayed Road to ease congestion between the two cities.

The motorway begins where Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Road ends in Seih Shuaib, on the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border, and has a capacity for 8,000 vehicles an hour with four lanes in each direction.

It passes through the green belt at Al Maha forest, Khalifa Port Industrial Zone and Bida Khalifa.

The road intersects with Al Ajban Road and bypasses Shahama, Zayed Military Camp and Al Falah, all the way to the Sweihan Road interchange.

It also directly links to Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi airport and Al Ain Road.

There are two new petrol stations, one on each side, between interchanges 1 and 2.