SEREMBAN, March 28 — The government has approved a two-day toll-free period from April 8 to April 9 for Class One private vehicle users on highways, coinciding with the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the exemptions will be granted at all toll plazas except for those at the national borders, namely, the Sultan Iskandar Building Toll (BSI) and the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza in Johor.
The toll-free period will commence at 12.01am on April 8 (Monday) and end at 11.59pm on April 9 (Tuesday), with a RM37.6 million compensation allocation.
“This decision was made during the Cabinet meeting on February 7, aimed at celebrating all citizens, especially the Islamic community, who celebrate Aidilfitri, and as a gesture of care and shared joy with all Malaysians.
“With this toll exemption, the number of vehicles is expected to increase by 2.46 million per day on all highway networks,” he told the press after inspecting the Seremban southbound rest and service area today.
Nanta encouraged motorists on the North-South highway (PLUS) to plan their journeys by following the suggested Travel Time Advisory (TTA) schedule via the MyPLUS-TTA app.
The app lets travellers choose the most suitable travel times based on entry and exit toll plazas.
“I also want to advise users that despite the laws and facilities in place to ensure safety, it still depends on us. We must be cautious and not rely entirely on the concessionaire companies,” he said.
In the efforts to alleviate congestion during Aidilfitri, the Malaysian Highway Authority and concession companies will activate Smart Lanes at 18 strategic points along the PLUS Highway, aimed at increasing capacity and ensuring the seamless flow of traffic.
Nanta said this includes three new locations compared to the 15 Smart Lane locations implemented during the Chinese New Year celebrations last month.
Clear signages for Smart Lane activation are installed at 500-metre intervals, with warning signs 200 metres before both commencement and conclusion, as well as blinking indicator lights every 1 kilometre.
“Furthermore, mobile Variable Message Sign (VMS) displays are deployed to inform users about the activation/termination of Smart Lane operations. It is only activated during peak hours to alleviate congestion,” he said.
The minister reminded motorcyclists to exercise caution when using emergency lanes as they may not realise when the lane has been activated as a Smart Lane, and other vehicles may be using the lane.
To facilitate traffic flow, prevent congestion, and ensure smoother journeys, no lanes on the highway will be closed for maintenance work from April 1 to April 17.
“However, maintenance work that does not involve lane closures can be carried out unless there is an emergency or accident necessitating lane closure. PLUS is providing 11 locations with Emergency Response Teams,” Nanta said.
— Bernama
