Ahead of the coming Hari Raya celebrations, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has announced free and discounted tolls up to 50% for selected highways which will begin this coming Saturday, 30th April 2022 at midnight until Sunday, 1st May 2022 for all classes of vehicles. The government has decided to offer discounted tolls after a round of negotiations with 30 highway concessionaires in the country.
Highway users are expected to enjoy accumulative discounts of RM77.11 million in total, and this expenditure will be jointly paid for by the government and highway concessionaires. The free toll includes highways managed by PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS), such as the North-South Expressway (NSE) as well as Anih Berhad (ANIH), which connects the east coast highway (LPT).
In addition to 30th April to 1st May, highway users can also enjoy free toll on PLUS and LPT for those returning back from their hometowns between midnight on Saturday, 7th May until 11:59pm on Sunday, 8th May 2022 to all classes of vehicles. Other highways are also offering discounts between 30 to 50% for the same period.
Highways offering 50% discount on tolls include KESAS, LDP, GRANDSAGA, BESRAYA, NPE, AKLEH, MEX and DUKE. Meanwhile, SMART, GUTHRIE, LATAR, LLB, LKSA, SILK, JPP2, SKVE, SPRINT, LEKAS, GRAND SEPADU, SDE and WCE are offering 30% discount on tolls.
The upcoming Hari Raya celebrations would be a significant one as Malaysians can travel interstate freely for Raya after two years of movement control order. The Prime Minister said the government is aware of the impact of the pandemic on people’s income and the discount is aimed at reducing their financial burden, especially among the lower-income groups. He also hopes that Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian family) would be tolerant and patient during their drive as there will be millions of vehicles on the highways during the festive season.
Malaysia’s largest highway concessionaire, PLUS, is anticipating a 25% increase in vehicles for the upcoming Raya peak period. They have recently announced its Travel Time Advisory, where users heading to Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (North) and Johor between 29 April to 2 May, are recommended to start their journey before 10.00am for a smoother journey. Those who are heading to other states, are recommended to enter the highway after 1.00pm.
Although the toll charges are free, highway users are still required to tap their TNG card or use their preferred payment method (e.g. SmartTAG or RFID) when passing through the toll plazas.
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