PETALING JAYA: Motorists travelling ahead of this coming Chinese New Year celebrations will enjoy 50% discount on tolls, says Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (pic).
“The government will bear an estimated RM19.5mil in compensation payments to the affected toll concessionaires due to the discount.
“The decision is in line with the government’s agenda to safeguard unity and the well-being of the people across different religions, races and beliefs,” he said in a statement yesterday.
The discount applies to Class 1 private vehicles at all toll plazas nationwide, as well as Class 2 vehicles at the Penang Bridge, but excludes the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) toll plaza on the North-South Expressway and the Tanjung Kupang toll plaza on the Malaysia–Singapore Second Link, he added.
Nanta said the selected dates were intended to avoid traffic congestion on peak travel days while allowing better coordination of highway operations, including facilities at rest and service areas and lay-bys.
Chinese New Year falls on Feb 17 and 18 this year.
On Saturday, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) said traffic is expected to increase as early as Feb 13, with about 3.27 million vehicles projected to use major highways and connecting routes during the festive period.
The highest number of users is expected on PLUS highways, with an estimated 2.2 million vehicles.
It added that highway concessionaires have been instructed to ensure smooth toll operations and that no lane closures are carried out from Feb 12 to Feb 23, except for emergency works.
A total of 32 locations have also been identified for the activation of smart lanes when necessary.
