Fines have increased from Dhs10 to Dhs500 and four black points…

Over the last several months a number of toll gates have been erected around the capital in preparation for a Salik-style system that will begin collecting fees from motorists for using major roadways including Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Highway.

While the tolls have yet to come into effect, The National is reporting that as of April 15, the gates have been used to catch out any passing car with an expired registration.

This has lead to motorists in Abu Dhabi running up bills for thousands of dirhams, as many may be unaware of the recent changes in fines for expired car registrations.

Previously, any delay in renewing a car’s registration would incur a fine of Dhs10 per month. However, as of April 15, this fine has increased to Dhs500 and four black points, with the possibility of vehicles being impounded for seven days.

The report goes on to say that just in the first two weeks of the toll gates coming online, 18,640 vehicles were impounded, and two months on not all motorists are still aware of the changes.

At its core, the system is designed to improve road safety and ensure that all vehicles in the capital are registered and pass inspection.

It would behoove motorists to make sure their registration is up to date, otherwise you could be in for a very nasty fine.

– For more about Abu Dhabi straight to your newsfeed, follow us on Facebook.