Abu Dhabi's road toll scheme caes into operation on Saturday – after charges were waived for several months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The major transport project was initially due to go live on October 15, 2019, only for the launch date to be delayed until the start of 2020 to allow commuters more time to prepare for the emirate's first road-charging initiative. In March, transport chiefs said motorists would be exempt from charges when passing through the four toll gates in the emirate as part of efforts to ease financial pressures prompted by the coronavirus outbreak. The gates are positioned at Sheikh Khalifa, Sheikh Zayed, Al Maqta and Mussaffah bridges. The Integrated Transport Centre called on vehicle owners to register in the Darb toll gate system and activate their accounts before the system goes live on January 2. Motorists must register by paying Dh100 up front but Dh50 will return as credit on the toll gate account. Drivers can top up their e-wallet on their account whenever necessary to ensure they have sufficient credit. Accounts registered with the ITC before the scheme was delayed remain active. Drivers will be charged Dh4 each time they pass one of the toll bridges during peak traffic periods, 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm from Saturday to Thursday. Daily charges will be capped at Dh16 and the maximum monthly charge will be Dh200. Drivers who pass through toll gates without registering with the Darb system will be given a 10-day grace period to sign up for the scheme. Once the grace period has passed, they will be fined Dh100 if they have not registered at this point. A Dh200 fine will be imposed for a second offence and Dh400 for a third. The road tolls are part of government efforts to reduce congestion and encourage people to use public transport. For more information on how to register or manage your account, visit <a href="https://darb.itc.gov.ae/">https://darb.itc.gov.ae/</a> The emirate launched a Park & Ride service to begin with the start of the road tolls. Starting January 2, individuals will be able to park their cars in dedicated areas in the suburbs close to Abu Dhabi island and use free public buses to travel within the city. Hundreds of parking spaces have been allocated in Al Shahama and Mohammed bin Zayed City for commuters. Each person in a vehicle will be given a maximum of three Park & Ride tickets to use inside the city. The new service aims to reduce congestion in the city.
