Road users may soon have to pay an additional charge to use stretches of roads gazetted as congested traffic zones, once the Land Public Transport Bill 2010 is passed by Parliament.

The proposed law, tabled today, allows the Prime Minister to designate areas as congested traffic zones and charge a fee for vehicles desiring passage through it.

It is not stated in the Bill how the charges will be collected but a clause was included to allow the Prime Minister to appoint agents to collect the fee and decide on rates.

The Bill also stipulates that the premier is vested with the power to change any details with regards to the implementations of the law, including the definition congested areas, charges and collection agents, at will.

Though the intention of the Bill was to regulate traffic flows, it is expected that it will attract the ire of opposition MPs who plan to denounce the law as yet another attempt to burden the public.

Previously, opposition MPs waged a strong public campaign against the Goods and Services Tax Bill, forcing the federal government to postpone the tabling of the Bill, initially slated for this session.

In a face-saving tactic, the federal government claimed that the postponement was to allow them to collect more feedback from the public.

The government has previously implemented an annual RM50 levy on credit cards and Real Property Gains Tax policy, which the opposition said was an attempt to fill government coffers.