Why PLUS should pay for EDL Highway in Johor Bahru?
DAP Johor questions the recent annoucement by the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamahad Yacop for the Government to shoulder the cost to acquire the Eastern Disperse Link Highway (EDL) from the Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB).
DAP Johor holds the view that neither Johor commuters nor the tax payers in general should shoulder the construction cost of the EDL. Exhausting the National Treasury. which is comprised of tax payers' money, to pay for the takeover of EDL is asking the people to pay for a failed rental economy created by UMNO-BN itself.
DAP Johor questions the rental economy for collecting tolls in the past 20 years by PLUS for virtually no work done and no servcice provided at Johor Bahru CIQ like "kaut untung atas angin" or catching profit out of thin air. It is definitely a move that would drive investors away from Iskandar Malasyia than helping attarcting any investors at all.
PLUS Bhd., an UMNO-linked company, was given the concession to collect tolls at Johor Bahru CIQ and Senai Federal trunk roads, respectively amidst protests from the Johoreans because virtualy no work was done by PLUS Bhd. except for installing Toll Plazas on the mentioned existing Federal Trunk Roads.
Due to the protests of the Southern Johor residents, Senai Toll Plaza was demolished prior to 2004 General Elections. The same should be done for PLUS Bhd. toll plazas at the Johor Bahru CIQ.
Vans and other small good vehicles have to fork out- RM4.10 while large RM5.50, taxis - RM1.30 and buses at RM2.10. Presently passenger cars travelling to Singapore via the Johor Causeway have to pay RM 2.90 to PLUS Bhd. for a return journey.
Based on the daily number of 60,000 vehicles using the causeway, PLUS Bhd. has collected between RM 876 mllion to RM 1.50 Billionin the past 20 years.
The amount collected by the PLUS Bhd. shuld have been meant for constructing a highway between the Johor Bahru CIQ and North-South Highway entrance at Pandan. Nonetheless, no work and highway service has ever been provided for the past 20 years.
Not only the Government should abolish the Johor Bahru CIQ toll collection like the Senai Toll that was abolished in March 2004 right before the 2004 General Elections, PLUS Bhd. should pay for the service which it should have provided- that is, a highway service between the Johor Bahru CIQ and North-South Highway Pandan entrance.
Therefore, PLUS Bhd. should pay for the cost of constructing the EDL highway, which connects Johor Bahru CIQ to the entrance to North-South Highway at Pandan, instead of using tax payers' money.
The UMNO-Barisan Nasional Government should explain the contents of the concession awarded to UMNO linked PLUS Bhd. to collect toll at the Johor Bahru CIQ without providing any highway connecting the CIQ and Pandan entrance, and yet PLUS Bhd. could walk away from being responsible of constructing the EDL highway.
