Hundreds of motorists will be charged under Abu Dhabi's road toll system during their morning commutes on Sunday. The four toll gates, at the entrances to the city, were activated on Saturday and are switched on during peak hours through the week, except on Fridays. Between the hours of 7am to 9am and 5pm to 6pm, people driving through the gates on Sheikh Khalifa Bridge, Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Al Maqta Bridge and Musaffah Bridge will be charged Dh4. The maximum daily toll fee for a single car is Dh16. More than 250,000 accounts have been registered for the toll gate system, known as Darb – the Arabic word for "the road that leads to your intended destination". The number of vehicles on the roads each day has not yet reached its pre-pandemic peak with many people still partially working from home. A mandatory requirement of a negative PCR test result to enter Abu Dhabi from any other emirate has also led to a decrease in commuters between the emirates. Abu Dhabi motorists yet to register their vehicles have a grace period of 10 business days before being hit with a fine of Dh100. A Dh200 fine will be imposed for a second offence and Dh400 for a third. Registration costs Dh100, of which Dh50 will count as credit on the toll gate account. Abu Dhabi-registered cars that do not have sufficient balance in their accounts can pay their toll gate fee using a post-payment system when initiating any procedure related to vehicle licensing. A non-Abu Dhabi vehicle with insufficient balance in their account will have five business days to recharge the account or risk being fined. Motorcycles, school buses, taxis and public buses, civil defence vehicles, police cars, towed vehicles and buses containing 26 passengers or more are exempted from the road toll payments. People with disabilities are also exempted from paying road tolls, as are UAE nationals aged 60 and above, retired Emiratis, and citizens who are in a limited income category. The road tolls were introduced as part of government efforts to reduce congestion and encourage people to use public transport. The system was initially due to start on October 15 last year but was delayed until the start of new year to give commuters more time to prepare for the emirate's first toll. For more information on how to register or manage your account, visit <a href="https://darb.itc.gov.ae/">darb.itc.gov.ae</a> On Saturday, a park-and-ride service began to give people an alternative way to enter the city. People can park their cars in designated 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-and-ride tickets to use inside the city.
