DPM: PANEL TO TABLE PROPOSALS TODAY
Cabinet to discuss toll, levy revisions and setting up of taskforce, says Zahid
SEVERAL proposals to reduce congestion at the Johor Causeway, including the revision of levy and toll rates at the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, will be tabled at the cabinet today.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the revised toll and levy rates would be announced by the prime minister in due course.
It was reported that the levy for commercial and heavy vehicles using the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link had been reduced from RM200 to RM50, as part of efforts to reduce congestion at the Johor Causeway.
This revised levy is expected to reduce heavy and commercial vehicles at the Johor Causeway by 40 per cent.
“Other suggestions that will be tabled include upgrading the special committee to address the issue of congestion at the Johor Causeway into a special taskforce.
“The special taskforce, which I will chair, will provide short-, medium- and long-term solutions to handle the congestion.
“The committee proposes that Singapore should form its own taskforce so that meetings can be held between the two countries to come up with solutions to the congestion issue.”
Zahid said this after he chaired a meeting by the special committee here yesterday.
He said one of the main causes of congestion at the causeway was due to bottleneck-related issues.
“We have identified several causes and alerted the relevant departments and agencies, including the Works Department, to rectify them.”
Zahid said the committee wanted the facilities at the Immigration, Customs, Quarantine and Security (ICQS) Complex to be upgraded to boost efficiency and security.
He said they must be equipped with the latest technologies and security system.
Zahid said holistic solutions were required to resolve issues related to congestion, infrastructure and security that affected Malaysia and Singapore.
In anticipation of a huge volume of people using through the Johor Causeway during the Chinese New Year celebration, he said People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) members would be deployed to the area.
“We are deploying 150 Rela members to the area to man traffic dispersal and to assist police.”
He said about 300,000 people crossed the Malaysia-Singapore border daily.
For the Chinese New Year festival, 500,000 people are expected to cross the border.
According to the Immigration Department, 101.69 million people have crossed the MalaysiaSingapore border between 2015 and last year.