The Cabinet will be discussing the implementation of the 478% increase in toll rates for the Johor Causeway and will explain to the public its reasons for doing so, sources say. – The Malaysian Insider pic, August 6, 2014.
The Cabinet meeting today will discuss the controversial implementation of the increase in toll rates for the Causeway to Singapore and later explain the rationale to the public, sources said.
The toll implemented from August 1 is to fund the RM1.3 billion Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL), which is free for all motorists in state capital Johor Baru, except for those going through the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex to Singapore.
"The Cabinet will discuss the issue and explain to the public the rationale," a source told The Malaysian Insider.
He added that the decision on the toll charges was made three months ago, more than two years after Putrajaya suspended the toll following protests from Johor Baru residents.
"The EDL is free for everyone, only some 40,000 to 50,000 motorists who use the Causeway is affected. That is about 25% of those using the EDL
"The majority can still use the EDL for free," he added.
Motorists from Singapore entering Johor through the CIQ Complex have to pay a toll of RM9.70, up from the previous RM2.90.
Those travelling from Johor to Singapore previously paid no tolls, but are now subject to a new toll of RM6.80.
While motorcycles are exempted from the tolls, buses, goods vehicles and taxis now also have to fork out extra at the Malaysian checkpoint.
On Friday, stage buses transporting factory workers from Johor Baru refused to continue their journey into Singapore in protest against the toll hike, forcing scores of Malaysian factory workers to walk across the Causeway.
The revised toll rate at the CIQ Complex comes on the heels of Putrajaya’s plans to introduce a vehicle entry permit (VEP) fee for all foreign vehicles entering Johor.
Following the toll hike, Singapore reportedly said it planned to increase its toll rate to match that of the Johor Causeway in the next few weeks.
The Straits Times quoted a Singaporean Land Transport Authority (LTA) spokesman as saying that the details of Malaysia’s toll revisions were not made known to Singapore earlier and that the LTA would need some time to make the changes.
But, he said: “Should Malaysia reduce or do away with the toll charges, Singapore will follow suit.”
Some Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers have objected to the higher toll charges with Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang yesterday saying that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should visit Johor Baru and explain the rationale for breaking his "no toll" pledge on the Causeway.
The DAP parliamentary leader said the prime minister had made two promises in 2012 that no toll charges would be levied on the Eastern Disposal Link (EDL).
The first was made on March 9 at a 1Malaysia dinner in the Johor's capital where he said Najib told an audience of 10,000 people that toll charges would not be levied at those who do not utilise the EDL.
Lim said the prime minister six months later told Parliament that there would be "no toll on EDL".
"As PM of a government whose motto and slogan is 'People’s First, Performance Now', Najib cannot take his public pledges lightly and must go out of his way to explain and justify the breaches of his public pledges.
"Has Najib no explanation or justification whatsoever for his breaches of his two pledges on the EDL to the people of Johor in 2012, and is his motto and slogan just an empty and hollow one?
"Is he going to be known as a PM whose public pledges cannot be trusted?" Lim said in a statement, adding that the steep toll hike had caused not only hardship to commuters, but also affected the economy in the southern part of the state.
- TMI
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