Federal Highway toll-free after 24 years
KLANG: After 24 years of paying toll to enter and exit Klang at the Sungai Rasau and Batu Tiga toll plazas, road users can finally travel on Federal Highway for free.
Klang and Shah Alam residents have for years groused about the toll collection, with several nongovernmental organisations pushing for the abolishment over the years.
Their wishes came true at midnight.
A big bash was organised at the Sungai Rasau toll plaza last night by the Selangor Barisan to commemorate the abolishment of toll collection as well as to usher in the New Year.
Selangor Barisan chief Tan Sri Noh Omar said in his speech that the toll abolishment will bring down the cost of living of those who use the route daily to work.
“We are creating history today with the closure of both tolls,” he said.
Noh added that he is also confident Barisan will be able to wrest Selangor from Pakatan in the next general election.
“The people can see what we are doing for them,” he said.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin was also present at the event.
The cessation of toll collection was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he tabled the Budget 2018 in October.
According to the concessionaire agreement, the toll collection at Sungai Rasau and Batu Tiga was supposed to end only in 2038.
The toll fare at the Sungai Rasau toll was RM1 and RM1.10 for the Batu Tiga toll.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof said in a statement the toll collection has been concluded 20 years earlier than stipulated in the concessionaire agreement to benefit the people.
“Residents of Shah Alam and Klang will benefit from this,” he said.
According to Fadillah, Class 1 motorists using the Sungai Rasau toll will save between RM92.40 and RM126 a month now, while those plying through the Batu Tiga toll will save between RM48.40 and RM66 a month.
Given that the concession agreement was terminated two decades earlier, the Government will pay off the concessionaire PLUS Expressways Bhd.
The compensation for the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau tolls is estimated at RM102mil annually.
Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani has been reported as saying that the Government and the concessionaire were already in the final stages of discussion in regards to the compensation.
Toll collection was also abolished at Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah and at the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) in Johor from midnight last night.