Related News:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/increase-of-570-in-new-causeway-toll-rate-jimmy-puah-wee-tse
Johoreans woke up this morning with the shocking news that effective from 1st August 2014 onwards, the new causeway toll rate would see an unprecedented 570% increase!
Currently, those that come in through the Causeway only have to fork out RM2.90 on the Malaysians’ side, but from 1st August onwards, they would have to pay a combine toll rate of RM16.50, an increase of nearly 5.7 times.
Yesterday, the Works Ministry out of the blue, announced the new toll rate for the Causeway, with all outgoing cars from Johor Baru are required to pay RM6.80 (currently none) and incoming cars RM9.70. For the latter, the calculation should be RM6.80 plus the existing RM2.90.
Besides cars, other vehicles such as vans, transport lorries and buses are also subjected to the increase though with varied rates.
Bear in mind this increase, is over and above the soon to be implemented Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) on the Malaysian side which the figure has yet to be finalized.
The Singapore government had already announced their new VEP rate of SGD35.00 (equivalent to RM90.00) will officially be implemented coincidentally also on 1st August. Furthermore, the Singapore government has always taken the stand that if there is any increase on the toll rate on the Malaysians’ side, they will reciprocate by increasing their rate in tandem with ours. Currently minus the VEP, the Singapore toll rate is SGD 1.20 (equivalent to RM3.00).
To further complicated matter, the new toll rate increase bears remarkable resemblance to the proposed Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) deal, which was supposedly dealt with by Prime Minister Najib Razak two years ago.
In 2012, the EDL which is owned by Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB), was supposed to commence toll collection for every vehicles that crossed the causeway regardless of not whether the vehicles actually travelled on the EDL. This has led to a huge outcry in Johor Baru area as there is no alternative non-tolled road to the Custom and Immigration Quarantine Complex (CIQ) since all toll charges are collected inside the CIQ.
The public anger was only subsided after the Prime Minister promised that no toll will be levied on the EDL and the government will looks into way to resolve this matter, including the possibility of buying out MRCB for the EDL.
Now suddenly, with this new announcement, the government must explained to us whether the new toll rate increase has anything to do with the EDL and is MRCB still the toll concession holder for the EDL?
If the collection is indeed for MRCB’s behalf, what is the justification for the ridiculous amount of RM16.50 when MRCB already holds a 34 year concession and the entire EDL is only 8.1km long?
PKR Johor is very concern with the new toll rate which will definitely have a strong impact on the local economy especially Southern Johor region and also thousands of Johoreans that commuted to Singapore daily be it for employment or schooling.
We are anticipating some strong reaction and outcry from local communities which are already divided and concerned with the impact of the soon to be enforced VEP.
Already we are facing the problem of oversupply and cooling of property demand in the Southern Johor and Iskandar Regions. We strongly urge the government to reconsider the implementation of the new toll rate and a feasible study must be taken on the viability and amount of the new VEP as not to further burden Johoreans and our economy prospect. – July 26, 2014.
