In a parliamentary session, Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, an opposition Member of Parliament representing PN-Kubang Kerian, has called upon the government to eliminate the tolls at Gombak and Karak to alleviate congestion on the East Coast Expressway (LPT), as reported by NST.
Highlighting the age of the Gombak toll, which is among the oldest in the nation, Tuan Ibrahim emphasized the importance of abolishing it first. He suggested that to alleviate the burden on LPT users, only two entry and exit points should be utilized instead of the current four toll plazas.
The 772-km North-South Expressway (NSE) which runs along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia was opened in 1982 and completed in stages by 1994. From the start, the standards of highway maintenance and safety were high, in line with international standards. Vehicles could travel speedily (up to the maximum limit of 110 km/h) along the multi-lane highway from Johor Bahru up to the Thai border, bypassing the old roads that were winding and narrow.
30 years ago today, April 1 1990, PLUSRonda began operations as a value-added highway patrol service provided by PLUS Malaysia Berhad, the concessionaires. The objective, which is the same today, is to ensure that the highway-users who encounter difficulties during their travels are given assistance. Be it a tyre puncture, stalled vehicle due to a flat battery or even an accident, the PLUSRonda team will arrive at the scene without fail.
“The PLUSRonda is one of the most iconic frontliners on PLUS highways. It is somehow even more meaningful that in the midst of the Covid-19 adversity, the 30th Anniversary of PLUSRonda is celebrated in remembrance of their purpose and sacrifices. While PLUS employees adhere to the Movement Control Order, many of our PLUSRonda are on-call; a patrolling schedule has been implemented to maintain the necessary response period in view of the lower traffic count,” said Datuk Azman Ismail, Managing Director of PLUS.
“We are very cognizant of the hazards that our frontliners are exposed to, which is why we have pulled out all the stops to ensure that every aspect of health, safety and security for them are provided for, so they may continue to execute their duties without fear or worries,” added Datuk Azman.
The pioneer team
The first batch of the PLUSRonda team consisted of 10 men who were joined by another ten during the first year in 1990. One of the pioneers, Zainal Abidin bin Lazim is still on active duty today and is based in Tangkak, Johor. Although aged 54, Encik Zainal Abidin Lazim continues to serve PLUS in the Traffic Safety Department, along with a few others of the original team.
“We are proud of our PLUSRonda, they are brave men who have only a single intention and that is to do their best for the safety and comfort of everyone who journeys along our highways, day and night. Their tireless conviction makes them a welcome sight when one is in distress along the NSE or LPT2,” said Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi, PLUS Chief Operating Officer.
“Many do not know that apart from saving lives at crash sites or attending to breakdowns, our PLUSRonda have also delivered babies in a number of emergency cases on the highway. Their training ranges from technical to medical aspects, equipping them with life-saving skills to be called upon when the situation arises,” he added.
Covering two highway networks
There are 574 PLUSRonda officers to cover the entire NSE and LPT2 (East Coast Expressway) highways. The PLUS highway network has 4 regions (including the East Coast) and each region has between 6 to 7 sections. Each section has a fleet of PLUSRonda patrol vehicles crewed by a pair of patrolmen. Prior to the MCO, the PLUSRonda routine was to patrol in a looping format so that they could be at the scene of any traffic incident (depending on the situation) within 30 minutes or less.
“My reason for becoming a PLUSRonda patrolman is to help others in any small way that I can. I am happy knowing our highway customers can travel safer when my partner and I are patrolling. The idea that I can help those in distress keeps me going. Being in PLUSRonda also offers me job security too,” said Encik Zainal Abidin Lazim. “I am proud that PLUS is fully committed to safety. While we are the last line of defence, safety on the roads is primarily in the hands of each of our highway-user.”
The day when you no longer have to ‘lose’ 50 sen for every reload of the Touch ‘n Go (TnG) card is fast nearing with more and more places waiving the charge. The latest is Shell Malaysia which has announced that all its stations along the PLUS Expressways (NKVE and ELITE) and the East-Coast Expressway (ECE) will no longer charge the 50 sen.
The broader expansion to all stations along these expressways is an addition to Shell’s recent initiative in waiving the TnG top-up fee at all stations along the North-South Expressway (NSE) earlier in January. As part of Shell’s effort, the expansion to the number of stations from the earlier initiative also includes 25 other Shell stations at various locations nationwide.
“Shell understands the challenge Malaysians face against the rising cost of living. We know it can be difficult to save when there are increasing necessary expenses like food, transportation, utilities and education, which form a huge part of one’s expenditure. This drives us to help Malaysians save more and ultimately, get more out of their journeys. Hopefully, forgoing the Touch ‘n Go top-up charges at all stations along NSE, NKVE, ELITE, ECE, and other Shell stations will give our customers one less worry when travelling or fuelling up at Shell during long journeys,” said Shairan Huzani Husain, MD of Shell Malaysia Trading Sdn Bhd and Shell Timur Sdn Bhd.
If you are travelling on PLUS and LPT2 highways tomorrow (Saturday January 25), your toll charges will be 20% less as a discount is being offered from 12:00 am till 11:59 pm. The 20% discount is only for privately-registered passenger vehicles.
Applicable highways are the North-South Expressway, the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Seremban-Port Dickson Expressway, the North-South Expressway Central Link (ELITE), Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Highway (Linkedua), Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE), Penang Bridge and the East-Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2).
There is no discount for those passing through the toll plazas at Tanjung Kupang. Motorists who are currently enjoying the existing Penang Bridge 20% toll discount via their Touch ‘n Go cards will also not be entitled to the discount.
To facilitate a smoother traffic flow during the festive period when millions of vehicles will be travelling on the highways, all toll plaza reload facilities on the entry lanes to PLUS-operated highways will be closed to customers from January 22 until February 3, 2020. This move is aimed at reducing traffic congestion due to the long queue at reload lanes at the toll plazas.
PLUS advises motorists to plan their journey in advance and most importantly, to reload their Touch ‘n Go card before starting their journey and make sure their card has sufficient balance to cover all toll charges along the way. There is no Touch ‘n Go card reload service provided at the exit lane of all PLUS toll plazas. However, certain toll plazas do have reload services at the PLUS customer service centres.
Motorists can top-up their cards at 11,000 reload centres throughout the country, including Touch ‘n Go Spots which are located at 34 petrol stations along the PLUS highway and also Self-Service Kiosks which located at 67 locations at selected R&R areas, lay-bys and toll plazas.
During this festive season, PLUS is expecting a total of 2 million vehicles to utilize its highways, especially during the peak periods which are from January 22 – 24; January 27, 28 and 31; and February 1 (which is a holiday in the Federal Territory).
From February 1, 2020, toll charges on PLUS-operated highways will decrease by 18%, as reported earlier. There will be no change in toll rates on PLUS highways until 2058 but PLUS has its concession period extended by 20 years beyond 2038.
Ever since the East Coast Expressway (LPT2) was opened in 2015, providing a fast and smooth highway link from the Klang Valley to Kuala Terengganu, many people have found it preferable to drive to the East Coast than use the bus. Prior to the LPT2 being available, the highway link was only up to Karak and the rest of the way was on winding roads which limited speeds and a journey would take many hours.
As a result, traffic volumes have been increasing over the past 4 years and it is common for congestion to occur from the Bentong toll plaza all the way to the toll plaza at Gombak. Naturally, it doesn’t help that the terrain is undulating with slopes causing traffic to slow down further. Fortunately, heavy commercial vehicles will not be allowed to use the highway on January 23rd/24th and 27th/28th.
ANIH Berhad, the concessionaire which maintains the 60-km highway from the Gombak toll plaza to the Bentong toll plaza offers suggestions on the best times to travel during the Chinese New Year period. It notes that the express buses heading to destinations on the East Coast enter the highway during two periods of the day – between 9:30 am and noon and 9:30 pm and midnight. Therefore, motorists are advised not to also start their journeys during these periods.
The chart below shows the suggested times for travel to the East Coast on January 23rd – 25th (Thursday to Saturday), and then if returning on the 26th or 27th (Sunday or Monday).
Travelling between midnight and 6 am would be congestion-free but be sure you are up to it and have had sufficient rest to remain awake and alert! If you are drowsy, pull over at a R&R and have a nap rather than struggle to continue. There is the danger of what is known as ‘microsleep’ where you doze off suddenly and you would no longer control the car – and an accident could occur.
ANIH Berhad also reminds motorists to ensure that their Touch ‘n Go and RFID e-Wallets have sufficient balance for the toll payable. Reloads can usually be done at the Gombak and Bentong Toll Plaza Customer Service Centres from 7 am – 10 pm but between January 23rd and 27th, reloads will not be available at the toll plaza booths.