Toll rates to be between RM7 and RM10
TOLL rates of the new RM4.5 billion Second Penang Bridge will be below RM10, said concessionaire Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB).
Its managing director, Datuk Dr Ismail Mohamed Taib, said the rates would be decided by the finance ministry.
“They will be between RM7 and RM10.”
Ismail said the rates would be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Saturday.
“The new bridge is double the length of the first bridge, with extra connecting roads. Logically, the rates should be twice of those charged by the first bridge.
“The government has given due consideration and will most likely give a discount,” he said during a familiarisation trip for the media at Batu Kawan Second Penang Bridge toll plaza here yesterday.
When asked whether the public would get to use the bridge toll-free as reported, he said it was up to the government.
“We had applied to the Malaysian Highway Authority to allow a toll-free period of one month.”
Ismail said the toll rates would be based on economic considerations as JKSB had to service loans taken to build the bridge.
“Unlike other concessionaires that are private, we are a fully government-owned company under the finance ministry.”
On the bridge’s projected traffic volume, Ismail said it would be about 25,000 vehicles per day, which was about 25 per cent of the first bridge’s average.
“During the toll-free period, it will be equal to 20 years’ of vehicles per day.”
During a tour at the bridge’s integrated toll plaza at Bandar Cassia, Ismail said two rest and recreational (R&R) areas would be built in six months’ time.
Earlier, JKSB deputy manager (public relations and communications) Azizi Azizan said the trip was intended to brief the media on the concessionaire’s overall operations.
“We have given the media first-hand information on the entire 24km stretch.
“Reporters were also given a tour of the toll plazas and our administrative building.”
In a related development, Southwest district police chief Superintendent Lai Fah Hin urged the public to park their cars at the Penang International Airport area to avoid traffic congestion near the bridge this Saturday.
Lai said there would be 19 free shuttles and 15 buses ferrying people from the airport’s car park area to Batu Maung on a five-minute interval from 6pm to 12.30 midnight.
He said four buses would ferry people from Teluk Kumbar and Bukit Jambul to Batu Maung from 10am to 12 midnight.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will open the bridge this Saturday.
Source: New Straits Times
Very nice bridge. This will mark the start of a new era for Batu Kawan. By the time it is fully developed, I can imagine myself retiring happily there…..:)
But not much development sales yet from batu kawan….Heard that most developer start to buy land there??!!
I think many have over expectation on Bt Kawan. Imagine Perai today is what you like? Perai has been connected by the first bridge for ~30 years.
@thor
The buying of large pieces of land by major developers are well publicized in the media. Not hearsay. So now the developers are pretty much convinced of the potential in BK and committed their resources there. Now the state has to play it right, to prevent developers from profiteering. Profit, surely we must allow developers to make money, but profiteer, should be prevented by way of the state gov putting in proper controls. Otherwise, what’s the point of BK, then it will be a big failure on the state gov’s side….:)
@Hemsley
Perai started it’s development when there were still plenty of undeveloped land on the island. Perai is located next to the container hub, therefore an ideal place for factories. And during that time, we thought manufacturing sector is going to feed us for life. So development in Perai were largely “factory centric”. So it is inaccurate to say that Perai has not developed in the last 30 years. In fact it has developed tremendously over the last 30 years, but the problem is it is noisy, dusty, high voltage cable hanging here and there, with mostly people with low income staying there.
But now, the state has the opportunity to change all that perception of “mainland living”, in a greenfield development. Better planing with comfortable and modern “mainland living” in mind, this is one chance for the state to make people happy by not feeling “inferior” staying in mainland. Well, in short, we’ll wait and see, the huge potential is there, only a matter of how the state does it.
Do hope that local gov and federal gov can control this…
some property agent in singapore and hongkong told me that even the gov still cannot control much on such speculation and profiteering.
I believe the bank system (world banking system) with this fiat currency, hedge currency and printing of currency already did wrong in the 1st place
Batu kawan not ready for opening the bridge. Road condition not so good
What is the new bridge toll rate? Any discount for TnG?
bridge complete but road not upgraded