We have to first make the transporting of goods and people work efficiently then only can we assure a healthy and sustainable development.
I wholeheartedly appreciate the idea of resolving traffic congestion on the Causeway. Yet, I humbly suggest that we should get the problem fixed immediately by reducing toll charge at the Second Link.
Instead of banning heavy vehicles from using Causeway, reducing the Class 2 and Class 3 vehicle toll charges at Second Link will immediately reduce the traffic congestion on the Causeway.
Some heavy vehicles with their destination located nearer to Tuas Checkpoint will shift to Gelang Patah.
Almost 70 percent of heavy vehicles are now using Causeway because the toll charges at Second Link is doubled as shown in the chart below.
| Causeway (RM) | Second Link (RM) | Causeway |
(S$)
Second Link(S$)
Class 2 24.90 34.20 9.30 14.80 Class 3 33.30 68.60 13.10 29.40As is the case of class 3 vehicles, the difference of toll charges between Causeway and Second Link at both Malaysia custom and Tuas Checkpoint is more than 100 percent.
For Class 2 vehicles, the difference of toll charges between Causeway and Second Link stand at a drastic 37 percent and 59 percent respectively at Gelang Patah and Tuas Checkpoint.
It is hence not difficult to understand why logistic companies tend to use the Causeway more than the Second Link. The toll charges at Second Link are just too high compared with the Causeway.
Federal government should seriously consider reducing the toll charges at Second Link to encourage more heavy vehicles to use the Gelang Patah entrance.
Besides that, it is known that certain overweight vehicles would stop at Causeway in the middle of their trip bound to the republic if they receive information of enforcement at Singapore.
This is one of the many causes that always makes the traffic congestion worse.
Hence, I urge Road Transport Department (JPJ) to strictly carry out enforcement duties on the Causeway to resolve this problem that burden all commuters.
The federal government should heed the call to first reduce the Second Link toll charges, to encourage more logistic companies to use the Gelang Patah entrance.
WONG SHU QI is Johor DAP policy director and Senai assemblyperson.