Now, pay more for road trip to UAE during peak hours

Muscat: Citizens and residents from Oman who are planning to take the road to Abu Dhabi will now be charged at their toll gates which began on Thursday, January 2, 2020.
This information was revealed by the Abu Dhabi Government Media Office on their official twitter account which was issued by the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT).
It is to be noted that motorists who pass through toll gates during non-peak hours will not be charged, the officials said. Drivers will be charged Dh4 only during the peak hours starting from 7am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm, Saturday to Thursday.
“@AbuDhabiDMT announces that Abu Dhabi Toll Gate System will start operating on 4 bridges from January 2, 2020, with fees to be levied only during peak hours, 7:00-9:00 AM and 5:00-7:00 PM Saturday to Thursday,” Abu Dhabi Government Media Office wrote on their twitter account.
Talking to Times of Oman, Haitham Al Mahrooqui, an Omani national said that the amount of fee may not hit the Omani nationals as much as the expats.
“One of the benefits of holding an Omani citizenship is that we don’t have to pay for a visa to enter the UAE. So, I think the fee of Dh4 will not affect us greatly keeping in mind the peak hours mentioned by the government of Abu Dhabi. We can always work around it.
“Having said that, I think that expats residing in Oman, who require a visa to UAE, will come under the influence of such fee as they are already paying to attain a visa. Although a small amount, it will keep adding up to the expenses, especially for those who travel regularly,” Al Mahrooqui added.
Abid Sulaiman, an expat residing in Muscat and a frequent traveller to the UAE, said that the news came just in time as he was planning to go to Abu Dhabi next week.
“As a pharmacist, I travel to Dubai and Abu Dhabi frequently, especially Abu Dhabi. And since the roads in Oman are amazingly smooth, I prefer driving down to the neighbouring country. I understand the fee is not much but it does add to the expense as I have to pay for a visa and then again at the time of the exit. I was just thinking of taking a trip to Abu Dhabi in the coming week but for now I will just hold on to my plans,” Sulaiman further said.