Abu Dhabi’s toll gate system, Darb, was activated on January 1 – transport officials announced on Friday. The Integrated Traffic Centre urged all residents to register in the system before the system goes live on Saturday. Motorists can register through the Darb toll system website or the smart application. About 200,000 users have registered in the system so far. A Dh100 fee must be paid upon registration; Dh50 will be used as balance. Four toll gates are set on the bridges leading to Abu Dhabi city. These are Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Bridge, Al Maqta Bridge and Mussaffah Bridge. The charge for passing by a toll gate is Dh4. Vehicles are charged only from Saturday to Thursday when passing during peak hours – 7am to 9am and 5pm to 7pm. No fees are collected on Fridays and on official holidays. "Regular toll fees will be deducted automatically from the user's prepaid account through an integrated and advanced electronic wallet, indicating that the vehicle is identified by its number without the need to install a tag on the windshield," ITC said. More than 8,000 vehicles are exempt from Darb toll fees, the centre said. Those include senior, retired and low-income Emiratis. People of determination are also exempt from the fees. But all motorists must first register with Darb, and then submit the exemption application with supporting evidence. Exemption is limited to one vehicle per user. The fine for entering a toll gate without registering on Darb is Dh100 for the first offence. The second time the person passes without registration, the fine is Dh200. From the third offence onwards, cars are fined Dh400 for each pass. A grace period of 10 days is provided after the first and second unregistered pass before the person is fined. If a registered vehicle’s balance is insufficient, a fine of Dh50 will be applied after a grace period of five working days if the vehicle’s plates are not affiliated with the emirate of Abu Dhabi. A fine up to Dh10,000 will apply to anyone who tampers with their vehicle's number plate to avoid paying the toll fee.
