Imposing 480 percent toll hike at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex would increase motorcylist fatalities, said Wong Shu Qi, Johor State Assemblywoman for Senai in a statement.

She said that thought the toll hike was a powerful deterrent tool to reduce congestion, it would force commuters to use motorcycles, which would elevate accident numbers. CIQ will be charged on commuters regardless of nationality and vehicles excluding motorcyclists.

Backing her statement with statistics showing road fatalities in Johor that were largely from motorcyclists, she said that commuting alternatives need to be provided or improved so that people would not resort to using motorcycles.

Road Fatalities on road by category of vehicles (Johor)

“The figures provided by related department in replying my question in February 2014 prove that irresponsible government and reckless policy making would eventually cost lives,” she explained also that Malaysian migrant workers in Singapore choose to drive because of the low quality of our first-mile and last-mile public transport connection and to avoid the risk of using a motorcycle.

She said that the decision by the BN government to charge all cars regardless of nationality with a whopping 469% increase from RM 2.90 to RM 16.50, which she said is  “ridiculous and forces people to take risks”.

The toll collection is at the CIQ centre, which forces commuters who pass through to pay whether or not they use the EDL (Eastern Dispersal Link)  highway to Singapore.

“With greater Johor Bahru booming in the midst of Iskandar regional development, more and more people choose to live within and work cross-boundaries,” Wong said that the authorities should try to draw people in to spend their income in the greater Johor Bahru and not drive them away. 

Wong Shu Qi had recently pushed for government expenditure in Johor to centre around the improvement of public transportation and infrastructure as a channel for the profits gained from the increase in toll charges. She says that the government should not be increasing the rates as a mere reaction to Singapore raising the toll rates on Malaysian vehicles.