Can Salik clear the way?

On July 1, 2007, Dubai once again demonstrated that it is leading the pack in the Arab world, collecting the first road tolls on public highways. While urban planners and traffic engineers study the effects of the new system, casual observers can discern marked shifts in traffic patterns. Are tolls congestion's panacea?

Traffic congestion is a global phenomenon. Many in the UAE emirate of Sharjah may believe that their commute is unparalleled, but that is far from the case. From San Francisco to Bangkok, traffic in global cities is getting worse due to a variety of reasons, both economic and demographic. The growth in the global economy and the increasing globalisation of trade and supply chains have exerted pressure on existing road networks, while the developing world's large youth population is getting ready to get behind the wheel of cars they can afford.

These explanations for congestion are, however, not very useful in identifying solutions. No one advocates a global recession to beat traffic jams.

Economists have long viewed the traffic problem in a different way. Dr Anthony Downs, senior fellow at the Washington-based Brookings Institute and author of Stuck in Traffic, writes: "Congestion is not basically a problem, but a solution to the real underlying problem - which is that too many people are trying to use the limited supply of road space during the same hours each day."

He sees only four possible ways to cope with this problem: Building enough roads to accommodate all of those people simultaneously, charging high tolls to enter the roads during those hours, expanding public transit, and waiting in line to use the roads. The latter option is congestion which "is the method we use because it is superior compared to all the other rationing schemes."

A quick look at the major new highways under construction in the region can give the impression that the solution to congestion is building new roads, but the fact is that peak-hour congestion is the cause of most delays on roadways, and once it appears, it is almost impossible to eliminate.

Dr Downs attributes this phenomenon to the Principle of Triple Convergence. When a "road's capacity is expanded, traffic at first moves faster on that road. But soon people realise this, and start altering their behaviour. Drivers converge on the expanded road from other routes they have been using to escape congestion... and even from other modes like buses or trains. Soon the increase in vehicles overloads the expanded road once again until traffic at the peak hour is moving no faster than before." The peak period may be shorter, but traffic will not move any faster.

A recent survey conducted by GulfTalent.com found that Dubai is the most congested city in the Middle East, with daily commutes averaging one hour and 45 minutes. Cairo and Sharjah were not far behind, with average commutes clocking in at well over an hour. Even with increased congestion in the region, Mahmoud Hatami, research manager at GulfTalent.com has not noticed a decline in applicants interested in working in the region. He explains: "This is probably due to the fact the vast majority of the business world has a congestion problem and people are used to it, with key metropolitan cities like London or Los Angeles all facing similar or worse traffic jams."

Mahmoud notes that "we are seeing an impact in morale and productivity of the existing workforce, who are naturally drained by the daily grind of a stressful commute. This is an issue of concern for many employers in Dubai." Salik, Dubai's road toll system, hopes its efforts will help ease this stress.

Salik is a classic example of using economic measures to influence public behaviour. By enacting tolls on popular (congested) routes, drivers have a choice of paying a fee or seeking alternatives, such as public transportation. The toll has been subject to some heated debate and criticism in recent weeks, and some speculated that it would be delayed, but the July 1 implementation is now history.

Salik is just one model of a road toll system. Other Arab governments (and perhaps Dubai) may implement different toll systems. One alternative that effectively balances convenience and egalitarianism is the use of HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes. HOT lanes are special tolled carpool lanes which allow free access to carpoolers (three occupants or more) and give other drivers the option of paying to travel at higher speeds and avoid congestion. Pricing of the toll fluctuates based on the level of congestion which also increases choices.

Technology is a major component of any modern toll system. Neil Gray, director of government affairs at the Washington-based International Bridge, Tunnel & Turnpike Association, an international industry lobby, says "the technologies being used, essentially electronic toll collection, have revolutionised the ability to finance and pay for the construction and maintenance of a facility while also allowing non-stop operation... the technology is considered by many to be less complicated than the needed business mechanism for distributing the transponders, tracking accounts and locating non-paying users."