New Toll Rates At Causeway Via SIB From Tomorrow

And they doth protest too much.

So why do they?
Perhaps, because nobody likes to pay toll. It's another dent in one's pocket. It's a burden to the people. So, it is a big deal.
Also because having good roads and highways is a right of citizens of the country.
Who cares how much it cost to build those great highways that, in the end help to ease the grind of travelling on congested roads.
 
In this case, it is largely because un-informed and dis-informed people are so easily influenced and misled by politicians' (not political) propaganda, no matter how erroneous their arguments are.
The very politicians who are now enjoying shorter travel time to their constituencies on the very tolled highways they had attacked when the projects were proposed.

So, tomorrow (Aug 1) motorists entering Singapore through the Causeway via  the Sulltan Iskandar Building (SIB) will have to pay new toll rates.

Last Friday, the Malaysian Highway Authority announced the new toll rates -  RM9.70 and RM6.80 for inbound and outbound cars. For motorists exiting Malaysia and aentering Malaysia through the SIB.
JB residents using the 8km or so through the EDL, but not going into Singapore, need not pay.
Presently, motorists entering Malaysia through the SIB pay RM2.90.
Buses pay RM13.30 to and from Singapore, while taxis  - RM8.20 for a return trip.

It is quite a hike. No wonder, people - especially Johoreans - got riled up. They think it affects everyone.

It does not.

(This is under the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) and has actually solved Johor Baru's notorious traffic congestion.
 EDL is an 8.1km expressway that connects the end of the North-South Expressway (NSE) at Pandan Interchange to the CIQ in the city and is part of  Iskandar Development Region program.)

Here are the facts that the critics and naysayers won't tell you:

*  The EDL continues to be free for close to 180,000 users daily who do not go pass CIQ.
JB residents are benefiting from less congestion and better traffic flows.  Roads along the EDL have also been  upgraded .
* Out of 220,000 daily vehicles currently on the EDL highway, only 60,000 are the CIQ users and out of this 60,000 vehicles 80 per cent are Singapore-registered cars.
 * The EDL has also proven to be a major traffic solution for JB. For the past two years JB residents
have been enjoying less city congestion.

You know, there are many Malaysians working in Singapore using Singapore-registered vehicles so they don't pay Singapore's vehicles entry permit .
Singapore just increased VEP to RM90 per day, and I don't hear them complaining.

Besides paying  a lot for vehicle permits, they also pay ERP -  area road pricing - in Singapore.

As Johorean The Patriot says:
" While Singaporeans cannot drive Malaysian cars in Singapore and will be slapped with a hefty fine, we allow Malaysians to drive Singapore registered vehicles on Malaysian roads if it eases their purpose.
They pay road taxes to the Singapore government yet drive on Malaysian roads. They pay income taxes in Singapore, yet enjoy the cheap cost of living in Johor.
They cannot have it both ways.
Either they pay us a small sum while driving Singapore vehicles as a small compensation for using Malaysian roads or pay Singapore a high fee while driving Malaysian vehicles compensating Singapore for the same."

So, yeah, perhaps it hurts. Just a little. But, as a blogger said: "you can't have your cake and eat it".

So go to  EDLConnects for more information.

Also do read these blog-postings :

Another Brick On The Wall

Jebat Must Die

Rocky's Bru