Drivers complain of faults in Salik system

Dubai’s Salik road toll has come in for yet more criticism, with motorists complaining of problems with the scheme’s SMS service, website and customer support hotline.In the last few days local newspapers and websites have been inundated with comments highlighting glitches in the system used by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).Some drivers say they have received text messages warning them to top up their Salik accounts even thought they have plenty of credit remaining, while others have had their balances topped up even though they have not added any credit to their account.
Motorists who have then tried to check their balance on the Salik website have found the site does not work.Those who have tried calling the Salik hotline have complained that they cannot get through to speak to anyone.“I have used the Salik about seven or eight times so far. I recharged my account with AED200 on Wednesday and I received a message stating that my balance is AED300. I was quite surprised by this and was trying to contact Salik. But as usual, no luck,” read one comment on a local newspaper’s website.The scheme, which was intended to ease traffic congestion along Dubai’s busy Sheikh Zayed Road, has also come under criticism for making the city’s traffic problem’s worse.In a poll conducted by ArabianBusiness.com, almost half of all voters claimed the road toll system had made traffic congestion worse, with only 25% saying it had improved traffic flow and the rest saying it had made no difference.The scheme, which has toll gates on Garhoud Bridge and on Sheikh Zayed Road next o Mall of the Emirates, has been blamed for increasing congestion on the city’s other bridges and on roads in Al Barsha and Jumeirah as motorists try to avoid paying the AED4 toll. Source