SMART toll not that smart, says Najib

© Provided by FMT MEDIA SDN BHD The SMART Tunnel is one of four highways offered for sale to the government. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak today questioned the logic of imposing congestion charges for the SMART Tunnel and making the route toll-free only at night.

“The SMART Tunnel route is similar to that of the highways above,” he said in a Facebook post.

“Normally, drivers will only use the SMART Tunnel during rush hour when the highways are congested. At night, or when the regular routes are not congested, drivers will seldom use the SMART Tunnel.

“What is the point of making it toll-free only at night when no one uses it?”

It was reported last Friday that the government is offering to buy over four toll highway concessionaires in the Klang Valley for RM6.2 billion.

The concessionaires linked to Gamuda Bhd are Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak), which operates Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong, Kesas, the SPRINT Highway and the SMART Tunnel.

The move is in line with Pakatan Harapan’s election promise that it would abolish the collection of toll at highways in stages and in accordance with the terms of the concession agreement should it come to power.

Putrajaya said in February that it intends to abolish the existing toll mechanism upon successful takeover of the highways and introduce a congestion charge instead.

This drew scorn from Najib, who said at an event for the Semenyih by-election that no one would benefit from the free “off-peak” period between 11pm and 5am.

“It is illogical, given that the time for no charges is when people go to sleep. We want to give it to people for free when they are conscious, not when they are asleep,” he said at the event.