Thursday 16 February 2012

The weird EDL toll


Today there is going to be a small demo by JB MCA and Gerakan youths over the toll charges at the newly completed Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) of MRCB.



This is a hot issue here....eerrr, among those who frequently travel to Singapore. The Pakatan people have been going to town about it. Make it as if the evil BN government is sucking the rakyat's blood again.

Now MCA and Gerakan also joined the fray. Well, never mind lah. The more the merrier.

These people said they don't like the toll charges as they are imposed at the CIQ of the Causeway. Meaning that those coming in and out of Singapore will have to pay it even if they do not use the EDL after leaving the CIQ, such as going to the Inner Ring Road or Stulang.

What they want is for the toll charges to be imposed only on those who use the EDL, and not on those going in and out of Singapore but choose to use other routes.

As it is today, the EDL is free for those who use it, unless they go to or coming in from Singapore.

Personally, I prefer the way it is now. I know, not seems to be fair to those who drives to Singapore and of course Singaporeans coming here la...but, aiya, those who drives to Singapore are rich la, and the Singaporeans are even richer. A bit a bit leeching on them cannot ka?

Hmmm...if cannot, never mind lah. MCA is going all out on this issue. Dr Chua Soi Lek, their president said the other day that the government had agreed to review the matter....so, actually no need to demo demo. Bising kacau orang saja la itu.

BTW, most Malaysians working in Singapore and living in JB go there by motorcycle or bus. No need to pay toll. Bus fare probably a few sen more expensive. That's all.

Here is a bit on EDL, courtesy of Wikipedia -

JB Eastern Dispersal Link (also known as Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Scheme) is a new expressway in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. The 8.1 km (5.0 mi) expressway will connect the end of North-South Expressway Southern Route at Pandan to the new Sultan Iskandar Building CIQ Complex in the city centre. It will act as bypass to CIQ complex without using Tebrau Highway (Federal Route Jkr-ft3.png) to the city centre.

8 comments:

  1. Malaysia is at its worst pinnacle of capitalism. A combination of greed-nepotism-corruption-selfishness-shortsightedness-ignorance and capitalism is causing hell to all of us.

    The principle of basic economics is that you pay what you use. Now you also pay what you don't use. What the hell is this?

    In the past the government built all the infrastructure. These days, under privatisation, crony companies built the infra at inflated cost, and mortgage the infra to the banks. Which means, the banks are now the owner of most infrastructure in this country.

    Not just we all have to pay everything that we use and don't use, we are also paying those money to the banks.

    Can we all do something to put a stop to this?

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  2. Worst PInnacle of capiltalism?

    Seems malaysia have getting all the fancy staus..worse this and that while countries in europe are going bust.

    The sky has not fallen yet for malaysia despkte the thousands of maaysian malaysia and karl marx chicken little.

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    Replies
    1. Well, well, well, what else can we expect from BN? Simply collect payments from non-users, or collect toll for doing nothing! Remember the Senai toll? PLUS did nothing to that stretch of federal road, apart from building a toll booth to collect toll. And don't forget the Causeway - again collecting toll, even raising the rate over the yrs, although they did not build the Causeway.

      If this is fair, then it's also fair for Big Cat to pay for tobacco & alcohol tax lor, kan? Little bit only mah, u can afford punyer, going by yr logic.

      But fret not, as with all BN gov projects, there'll be amendments and cancellations later, after they discover that the rakyat are actually harder to hoodwink than originally thought.

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    2. Ya lah, lucky our evil BN is the government. You bising-bising they change the thing. In Singapore, you make noise don't want to pay, they will catch you and throw you into the sea liao. You wait la DAP, the son of PAP become the government. That will do exactly the same like in Singapore. You don't want to pay, they will kick you one.

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  3. Msian working in SG but live in JB dont rly contribute in terms of income tax to msia right? Other roadworks are generally footed by gov.. So isnt it basically people working in jb paying for the improved roads. If thats the case Im fine with the toll charging those earning a bit from those workin in sg instead ofthe locals working in JB. Motorbikes dont get tolled if im not mistaken so its those who are earning slightly more who will be affected. Why not? Its not rly the right way to do it, but this edl generally benefits those workin in Sg and theres always the alternative 2nd link if you dont want to use the edl.

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  4. I can't believe so many of you are jealous of what those earning S$. I am quite sure no one is stopping you from doing so. Why dengki2? You think it's easy $? Try it and you will know.

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  5. What is the rational of this toll charges? Charge to those who using causeway or EDL? Hope the government understand clearly the objective of the charges application before simply generate a new way to earn $$ which believe eventually not benefits to public but those private sectors....

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    Replies
    1. If they negotiate and reduce the toll hopefully there wont be any compensation required.

      Locals may still end up paying indirectly. Money used pay compensation instead of improving public transport and other projects (ie. standard of living).

      The options now seems to be, lower toll rate, pay compensation (ppl working in msia pay indirectly) or keep proposed toll rate (ppl working in SG staying in JB pay the bulk). Either way some ppl are going to be unhappy.

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