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PETALING JAYA: Motorists will enjoy a 50% toll discount for two days on Dec 23 and Dec 24 in conjunction with the upcoming Christmas celebration on Dec 25, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi.
He said the toll discount would cost the government an estimated RM20.65mil in compensation to toll concessionaires.
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"The government will bear an estimated financial implication of RM20.65mil to compensate all toll highway concessionaire companies involved following the provision of a 50% toll discount in conjunction with this year’s Christmas celebration," he said in a statement on Friday (Dec 19).
The discount applies only to Class 1 private vehicles at all toll plazas, except at border toll plazas, namely the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Toll on the North-South Expressway (PLUS) and Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza on the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Expressway (Linkedua).
He said the 50% toll discount is expected to help ease part of the travel cost burden for Malaysians planning to return to their hometowns to visit family members in conjunction with the Christmas celebration, or to go on holiday with their families during the school holiday season.
He said this initiative is also in line with the aspirations of the Madani Government to help alleviate the cost of living for people at all levels, across Malaysia’s diverse religious, ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
He said selection of these dates is part of an initiative to disperse traffic during the festive and school holiday period, particularly on peak travel days when people are returning to their hometowns and heading back to the cities.
"At the same time, it aims to optimise highway operations, including the effective use of lay-bys and Rest and Service Areas along the expressways.
The Works Ministry hopes that highway users will be encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity and plan their journeys carefully by using the TuJu Highway Navigation App by LLM and the MyPLUS-TTA application to ensure a smooth and comfortable trip.
In addition, motorists are advised to adhere to the recommended travel time advisory (TTA) schedules and to prioritise safety by observing speed limits, traffic signs and all regulations along the highways.
Users can check traffic status or any incidents on the highways, which will be regularly updated on the official social media channels of the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), namely Facebook: Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia, X (formerly Twitter) @LLMtrafik, and TikTok @llmtrafik.
Highway users can also contact the LLM Traffic Management Centre at 1-800-88-7752 for assistance or the latest traffic information.
"On behalf of the Works Ministry, the Malaysian Highway Authority, and all Highway Concession Companies, I urge all users to drive responsibly and comply with all traffic regulations.
"Take breaks if you feel fatigued or drowsy. Let us all work together to ensure that our highways remain safe, clean, and comfortable, while striving to reduce Malaysia’s road accident statistics," he added.
