Abu Dhabi’s new toll system went live for the first time on Thursday. Motorists passing through the four gates located on the main bridges leading to and from Abu Dhabi city will only be charged during rush hour. From Saturday to Thursday, road users will pay a Dh4 charge when driving through the gates between 7-9am and 5-7pm. A maximum fee of Dh16 will be levied against commuters in any one day and charges will be capped at Dh200 a month for one vehicle. Previously, the plan was to charge Dh2 outside of rush hour and on Fridays, but this was later scrapped by the Integrated Transport Centre (ITC). On Wednesday, the authority tweeted a fresh reminder to those who still had not signed up to the system. “From Abu Dhabi or already drive here? We’re glad to let you know that your vehicle has automatically been registered in the #AbuDhabi_Toll_Gate_System! Activate your account by 2/1/2020 on our website,” the tweet read. For Abu Dhabi vehicles that were automatically registered for the toll, car owners still have to activate their account. They can do this by clicking the ‘on’ tab, which is located in the far right column on the same page as the car details. “We always welcome visitors from all across the UAE! Make sure you register your vehicle in the #AbuDhabi_Toll_Gate_System during your next visit on our website,” ITC posted. The Abu Dhabi toll system was first announced in October. It was implemented to reduce traffic congestion on the main roads in the capital and encourage the public to use other modes of transport. The four toll gates are located on the main bridges leading to Abu Dhabi city including Sheikh Zayed Bridge, the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, Al Maqta Bridge, and Musaffah Bridge. The system was set to go live on October 15 but was pushed back to January 2 after many residents cited difficulties in registering their vehicles for the tolls. At the time, many commuters from outside the emirate reported issues with the text message confirmation system. Many said they did not receive the required OTP to complete the online registration process. While many have now successfully signed up to the toll gate system, on Wednesday <em>The National</em> reported that some commuters were still struggling to confirm or make changes to their accounts. “When the toll system initially launched back in October, I owned two cars. Both were automatically registered online,” Abu Dhabi teacher, Rahim Rodney-Agbu said. But after selling one of his vehicles, he said he has tried and failed to remove the old car from his profile. “I'm concerned that I will be billed for the old vehicle every time the new owner passes through the toll gates.” For family’s with more than one car, the ITC said there will be a monthly cap of Dh150 on a second vehicle and Dh100 on a third. To avoid fines, motorists outside Abu Dhabi are still being encouraged to sign up through the ITC website by entering their Emirates ID details, car licence plate, mobile number and email. Vehicles registered outside the emirate will be charged a Dh100 registration fee, with Dh50 credited back to their toll account.
