Personally I do not think Salik is bad for the UAE or for most motorists. Bottom line, reality check - all these years we pretty much drove the fantastic roads and highways of Dubai/UAE for FREE. Yes Free - nobody paid taxes or a fil (traffic fines don't count) to help build this infrastructure. Nobody's paying anything for the world class metro system that's coming up. It is all government funded. In North America I am taxed 40% of my gross income (bonuses are taxed at 50%) - yet the roads are full of potholes - some the size of baby elephants. In addition to taxes we’ve got toll roads in most cities & inter-states. I just don't understand why the hue and cry for Dhs4 or Dhs 8 perday - isn't it worth the fantastic Dubai roads? I mean we all know there is never a free lunch - and we (expats & locals) had Dubai/UAE roads for free all these years.
If there is no Salik or alternative revenue for the Dubai government - then there may not be increased roads or highways or infrastructure i.e. its growth could be limited and may not meet UAE's growing needs, in which case, people will complain there isn't sufficient infrastructure in place.
So you guys decide: salik/alternative revenue = better infrastructure or no salik/ alternative revenue = limited/insufficient infrastructure.
….. and yeah - I agree salaries for the most part should be increased with this added cost of living, that's the viable way to go forward - this is my opinion.
21 comments:
What is 'salik saga' Rosh? what language it is ?
I rarely add my comment on any blog, yet here I couldn't help but thank you from the bottom of my heart for these wise words you have written. Not alot of brains can absorb the magnitude of the ideas you are discussing and all they argue about is non-sense with all due respect to whatever their opinions are.
Thank you for realizing the bigger picture !
i wouldn't mind being taxed for road use (rather than tolls).. in the UK they have income tax and road tax (two different things).. but the road tax is an annual charge based on how big your car is and how much CO2 it pumps. My tax last year was around 1400 Dhs, which ain't too bad eh?
If this money is then re-invested into the roads, then everyone wins eh?
I am anti-Salik though because it seems stupid/random in where they chose the toll points. Imagine the congestion increase at Al Maktoum bridge now.. or the Shandagha tunnel (does anyone use it?)..
All major cities have a congestion ZONE.. ya3ni you enter it you pay. Here they have these POINTS.. which means you will get bottlenecks.. it doesn't make sense.
Also the way it's been rushed thru seems a bit hazardous.
Finally, I heard that all AD government salaries have increased by 100%.. Dubai salaries are up too.. but not by as much for the Governmental dudes.
allo peps :)
IYM - I used "saga", just given the mental "turmoil" salik seems to have caused people in the UAE. Yup I exaggerated/dramatized by using saga, because that's what I think most people are making salik charge of 4Dhs to be - over the hill dramatization - well for the most part.
uae national: welcome to my blog and thank you for leaving a comment, am most touched :)
BuJ - I think there will be added congestion - BECAUSE people want to avoid paying the extra 4Dhs. And given my last 3 months of driving from SHJ to DXB - I think people should be "pushed" into using the fantastic Bay Bridge crossing and other alternative routes available.
If you look at the traffic flow - all of 'em stick thru SZR all the way to Gharhoud - like adventure less sheep :)
Personally, after driving the roads of Manhattan or New York City or even New Jersey or Toronto (IYM ask HLH on 407 highway toll charges - it's Toronto’s version of daylight, highway robbery) and be taxed to death - personally I would pay 4Dhs hell I'd pay 10Dhs to drive the roads of Dubai. To me, driving in those roads is worth every fil & more.
The bottom line is none of us pay for the roads, the cost involved, the road signage or when stupid drivers cause much damage to these highways via avoidable accidents.
Have you guys seen the new Bay Bridge? It's yummy! I mean the first time I drove over it, I was like wow, this is such a wide bridge and 13 lanes - the immediate thought that came to my head was, I didn't have to pay anything to have this built, and I am practically driving these roads for free?
But, I am not sure if I'd say that for (most) of SHJ roads though ;)
im taxed 48%
holy crap you are kiddin me? OK yalla, I feel a little better now :)
So how much do they tax bonuses in that part of the world?
Go Salik, go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
of course i know the bay crossing!!! first time i went there i kept zig-zagging coz it was so wide and empty and i know in no time it will be filled with speeding AD plates :P
I know all about Toronto roads as I lived there for a year before HLH moved into that city..
And yes I agree; 4Dhs is nothing.. ppl should be more responsible for the good stuff our government is working hard to provide us with; including roads.. we can't just be 'consumptive' all the time; right?
lol i*maginate :)
Aha so you did zig along Bay bridge :) You know there are several cameras installed eh! which I fully support as well :)
Sah IYM - I can't believe after all these years, people are crying about 4 bucks!, how about giving back to a country which has given most people so much for a change eh? The give back is for (most) common man's good i.e. more roads, more repairs and more cameras/cops to control speeding/accidents.
re: my comment toll on SHJ - am afraid we shall construct pretty galaxy sized rotaries (and "gardens" inside the rotaries) instead of highways and roads like Dubai/AUH i.e SHJ will continue to beautify itself, with little purpose of meeting it’s true needs.
roshy rosh rosh :)
zig doesn't imply zapping (aka speeding)
and yes i do know where all the cameras are.. the first time i drive on a new road i always stick to the speed limit in both directions, ID the cams, then i floor it the next time(s) :)
i know.. it's wrong... ufff..
I know habibi, am just pulling your leg yo! walla you are too nice BuJ :)
so the hunter has become the hunted eh?
i am nice sometimes, but i'm also susceptible to flattery.. however i'm sarcastic most of the time.. hehehe bring it on :P
yez the hunter is now the hunted - muhahaa muuhahahaa!
please don't change BuJ - you are sincerely a nice soul, be the way you are :)
atcha/tamam.. will do :)
and today..how do you do?
Am kewl - thinking thru some life changing decisions I need to make, almost now, pronto!
hate making decisions, I suck at 'em - usually I sit on the fence and someone/something just push me over :)
buj I'm just wondering where on earth you are? One minute you're taking photos of sheep, the next you're zigzagging accross Bay Bridge? Kindly explain coz I'm utterly confoosed.
Rosh.. ur exactly like my bro.. and i'm totally opposite.. i'm happy making instant decisions and happy to make other people's decisions too..
if you shoot with the question i'll give u an honest opinion.
I*MAGINATE.. i would have expected you to know better than to pretend to be confused. Stuff which is published online is controlled both in terms of content and timing.
does this help?
Mr BuJ - damn I envy you for having the ability to make such quick decisions :)
Re: i*maginate: chill bro, she's just playing with ya, we love to pull A'dinijad's little foot : )
hahahah Do you not think that I figured that out my dear? I won't be done twice on the same blog in the same week!! Mind you the first time was really mild, and we shouldn't count it :)
as for the other topic.. you know where to get me.. seriously.. sometimes it's great to get things off your chest and to get an outside opinion on something you can't lay to rest.
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