Penangites decry RM8.50 toll rate for 2nd bridge
Susan LoonePublished: Mar 31, 2014 7:00 AM | Updated: Mar 31, 2014 7:41 AM
Penangites have expressed their unhappiness with the newly announced toll rate of RM8.50 for cars using the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah(SAHMS) Bridge, which was officially opened in a grand ceremony by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on March 1.
Penangites have expressed their unhappiness with the newly announced toll rate of RM8.50 for cars using the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah(SAHMS) Bridge, which was officially opened in a grand ceremony by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak on March 1.
For one month since March 1, motorists have been plying the bridge for free, a bonus that ends at midnight tonight.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the rate, which is 21.4 percent higher than at the First Penang Bridge, will not help to reduce congestion, which was the initial reason for building the bridge.
He pointed out that there is no 20 percent discount (which would reduce the rate to RM5.60) for Touch ‘n Go card users from Penang, unlike that given for the First Penang Bridge, which charges a normal fee of RM7.
“How then would this help to reduce traffic congestion on the First Penang Bridge?” he queried in a statement today.
Lim said the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA), which made the announcement, should consider charging the same toll rate for SAHMS Bridge as the First Penang Bridge until the access highways in Batu Maung are completed in three years’ time.
“When the access highways are completed, motorists then would not mind paying more, provided they can have a smooth ride without traffic congestion,” said the DAP secretary-general.
Motorists have been lamenting about the landing point of the SAHMS Bridge in Batu Maung on Penang island as it is often congested because work has still not commenced for the access highway roads out to George Town or to Bayan Lepas.
Lim said this is poor planning and foresight by the authorities because such access highways should have been built at the same time and completed together with the SAHMS Bridge.
Instead, work is only about to commence for the access highways costing about RM850 million by the end of the year, he added.
Gerakan also thinks that MHA should provide a 20 percent discount for Penangites crossing the bridge on a daily basis.
Penang Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said that this is especially true as there are many workers who ply to work daily between the two areas - Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland.
“That is the only thing I would like to say. Please consider a 20 percent discount for Penangites similar to what is given by the First Bridge as we have to take into account the many workers living on both sides of the bridge,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
‘Thrifty Penangites would simply use the First Bridge’
The SAHMS Bridge is 24km and is longer compared to the First Penang Bridge of 13.5km.
Penang Consumer Protection Association president Koris Atan (right) said the MHA should realise the sufferings of the people who need to wade through a massive traffic jam on Batu Maung before embarking on the beautiful SAHMS Brige on their daily routine to work.
“As such, the toll bridge for the second link should remain at RM7.00 like the First Bridge until the road congestion is cleared,” he said when contacted.
“Let there be some uniformity on the toll fee also or else Penangites, who are quite thrifty, would simply choose to use the First Bridge,” he added.
“Then what is the use of buiding a RM4 billion second link? Unless the traffic congestion is cleared, we should not be paying RM8.50 for it,” he stressed.
Koris reminded MHA of its social responsibility to the people, urging it not to “suck” Penangites of their daily hard-earned income.
“Please don’t be suckers of our hard-earned money. Otherwise I believe there will be lots of protests and people will just revert to using the First Bridge,” he said.
“Already people are suffering due to the hike in essential goods, petrol and other basic needs. Does MHA expect people to pay RM8.50 to go through massive congestion just to go to the mainland? We’ll use the First Bridge, all we have to do is avoid it during peak hours,” he added
The rate is RM1.70 for motorcycles (Class 0); RM8.50 for cars except taxis and busses (Class 1), RM30.50 for two-axle and six-wheeled vehicles except busses (Class 2), RM70.10 for three-axle or more vehicles except busses (Class 3), RM8.50 for taxis (Class 4) and RM26.20 for busses (Class 5).
For one month since March 1, motorists have been plying the bridge for free, a bonus that ends at midnight tonight.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the rate, which is 21.4 percent higher than at the First Penang Bridge, will not help to reduce congestion, which was the initial reason for building the bridge.He pointed out that there is no 20 percent discount (which would reduce the rate to RM5.60) for Touch ‘n Go card users from Penang, unlike that given for the First Penang Bridge, which charges a normal fee of RM7.
“How then would this help to reduce traffic congestion on the First Penang Bridge?” he queried in a statement today.
Lim said the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA), which made the announcement, should consider charging the same toll rate for SAHMS Bridge as the First Penang Bridge until the access highways in Batu Maung are completed in three years’ time.
“When the access highways are completed, motorists then would not mind paying more, provided they can have a smooth ride without traffic congestion,” said the DAP secretary-general.
Motorists have been lamenting about the landing point of the SAHMS Bridge in Batu Maung on Penang island as it is often congested because work has still not commenced for the access highway roads out to George Town or to Bayan Lepas.
Lim said this is poor planning and foresight by the authorities because such access highways should have been built at the same time and completed together with the SAHMS Bridge.Instead, work is only about to commence for the access highways costing about RM850 million by the end of the year, he added.
Gerakan also thinks that MHA should provide a 20 percent discount for Penangites crossing the bridge on a daily basis.
Penang Gerakan secretary Oh Tong Keong said that this is especially true as there are many workers who ply to work daily between the two areas - Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland.
“That is the only thing I would like to say. Please consider a 20 percent discount for Penangites similar to what is given by the First Bridge as we have to take into account the many workers living on both sides of the bridge,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.
‘Thrifty Penangites would simply use the First Bridge’
The SAHMS Bridge is 24km and is longer compared to the First Penang Bridge of 13.5km.
Penang Consumer Protection Association president Koris Atan (right) said the MHA should realise the sufferings of the people who need to wade through a massive traffic jam on Batu Maung before embarking on the beautiful SAHMS Brige on their daily routine to work.“As such, the toll bridge for the second link should remain at RM7.00 like the First Bridge until the road congestion is cleared,” he said when contacted.
“Let there be some uniformity on the toll fee also or else Penangites, who are quite thrifty, would simply choose to use the First Bridge,” he added.
“Then what is the use of buiding a RM4 billion second link? Unless the traffic congestion is cleared, we should not be paying RM8.50 for it,” he stressed.
Koris reminded MHA of its social responsibility to the people, urging it not to “suck” Penangites of their daily hard-earned income.
“Please don’t be suckers of our hard-earned money. Otherwise I believe there will be lots of protests and people will just revert to using the First Bridge,” he said.
“Already people are suffering due to the hike in essential goods, petrol and other basic needs. Does MHA expect people to pay RM8.50 to go through massive congestion just to go to the mainland? We’ll use the First Bridge, all we have to do is avoid it during peak hours,” he added
The rate is RM1.70 for motorcycles (Class 0); RM8.50 for cars except taxis and busses (Class 1), RM30.50 for two-axle and six-wheeled vehicles except busses (Class 2), RM70.10 for three-axle or more vehicles except busses (Class 3), RM8.50 for taxis (Class 4) and RM26.20 for busses (Class 5).
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