Causeway toll hikes: A lose-lose situation

Singapore and Malaysia should renegotiate in the interest of citizens.

COMMENT

By Jimmy Puah

From October 1, the toll charged at the Singapore side of the Causeway will be raised from SGD1.20 (about RM2.90) to SGD6.50 (about RM16.50).

This means a Malaysian registered vehicle going in and out of Singapore via the Causeway would have to pay an aggregate RM123 per trip, being RM33 in toll fees plus RM90 for the VEP (Vehicle Entry Permit), a far cry from the current rate of RM55.80 (RM5.80 in toll fees plus RM50 in VEP charges).

Johoreans, still reeling from the 470% toll rate increase on the Malaysian side, now have to digest news of the Singapore toll increase with more misery and pessimism.

The hike will increase the financial burden of Johoreans commuting to work in Singapore. Every day, 60,000 vehicles travel between Singapore and Johor using the Causeway. Thousands of Johoreans cross the Causeway daily to work in Singapore.

The alternative, which is to switch to public transport, may not be an ideal solution as the existing public transport system is ill-equipped to cope with the number of people going into Singapore daily.

It does look like we are now paying the price of a lack of planning and foresight in regard to this issue.

The new toll increment might have a negative effect on our local economy as fewer Singaporeans will be willing to cross over to spend their money here.

Malaysians working in Singapore may also elect to reside in Singapore due to rising transportation costs and this could mean one less group of people spending money in our local economy.

It is sad that what we are seeing here is an eye-for-an-eye confrontation. The ultimate victims are the people.

I have always taken the stand that the Malaysian government should not have raised the toll charges at the Causeway as payment for the Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway (EDL) since this is unfair to non-EDL users.

And now because of the insistence of our government to allow a private company to collect toll at the Causeway for the use of another highway, not only does the government not receive one single sen from the collection but Singapore has been prompted to raise the toll on its side to match ours.

I condemn the Singapore government’s decision. While I accept that it is its sovereign right to raise the toll, the justification for the increase seems to be based on a tit-for-tat motive. Unlike its rationale for the VEP charges, which is to control traffic flow on the island, the reasoning here seems to be hollow.

Singapore should appreciate the amount of labour Malaysia supplies to its economy.

The government’s responsibility is to formulate policies that benefit the people and protect their welfare. I cannot see how allowing a private company to collect toll at a rate of more than 470% from the previous rate and inviting Singapore to do the same can benefit the people.

One must not forget that at a time when we are aggressively pushing for growth in the Iskandar region, toll rate increases on both sides of the Causeway does no one any favours.

Hence, I urge both countries to immediately renegotiate a more feasible toll rate so as to end the suffering of the people, both Malaysians and Singaporeans.

Let’s look at the situation realistically. Whether we like it or not, we need each other. So let’s find a solution that benefits both sides.

Finally, let’s not forget Gandhi’s words: “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”

Jimmy Puah Wee Tse is PKR Johor Legal Bureau Chief and State Assemblyman for Bukit Batu