Second Link toll charges to be cut by 30% from Aug 1

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Singapore will reduce their respective toll charges at the second link by 30pc from Aug 1.

The announcement came following a one-day meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong and is seen as another effort by both leaders to boost people-to-people relations.

When the two leaders met in Singapore last month, they hinted that toll charges would be reduced substantially.

Najib said Malaysia had proposed that the toll be reduced by 30%.

“Prime Minister Lee has kindly responded with the equivalent amount. Hopefully with the reduction of the toll rates, we will see a better utilisation of the Second Link,” he said at a joint press conference with Lee on Tuesday.

Lee said the announcement on reduction of toll charges was good news to the people of Malaysia and Singapore.

“It is good news for Singaporeans going to Malaysia and Malaysians travelling to Singapore. May many more Malaysians and Singaporeans will do so (travel between the two countries),” he said.

The Second Link bridging Tanjung Kupang in Johor and Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim in Tuas, Singapore was opened to traffic on Jan 2 1998 and was officially opened on April 18 the same year by former Prime Ministers Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Goh Chok Tong.

Presently, motorists have to pay between RM1.60 (for motorcycles) and RM48.90 (for large lorries) at the Tanjung Kupang toll plaza while at Singapore’s Tuas checkpoint, they have to fork out S$0.70 (RM1.63) and S$21 (RM48.76) for motorcycles and large lorries respectively.

Lee presented Najib with a special orchid plant - a 20-inch tall, 24-carat gold and palladium replica of the Dendrobium Najib Rosmah orchid.