Toll on part of NPE abolished

PETALING JAYA: Toll collection at the Kuala Lumpur-bound toll plaza at PJS2 on the New Pantai Expressway (NPE) will be abolished as of 12:01am Saturday.

The Cabinet decided to do away with the RM1.60 toll last week, said Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed on Friday.

“The decision by the Cabinet was a consequence of the Works Ministry’s memorandum to abolish the toll,” he said during the announcement ceremony of the abolition.

He said removing the toll was also meant to soften the effects of economic uncertainties for the residents of PJS 1 and 2, who had to pay RM1.60 toll every time they drove towards Kuala Lumpur since April 2004.

Mohd Zin did not specify the amount of compensation to be paid to concessionaire NPE Sdn Bhd. Officials of the consessionaire could not be reached.

A small but noisy crowd of Umno, PAS and PKR supporters turned up to support the abolition of the toll, which was considered a Valentine’s Day gift not only to road users heading to Kuala Lumpur but also for the 30,000 residents of nearby Taman Medan and Kampung Dato’ Haron.

However, Taman Medan assemblyman Haniza Mohd Talha (PKR) said the Government must also abolish the toll on the opposite side of the highway, heading towards Subang Jaya and Kelana Jaya.