The takings from the proposed Johor-Singapore border vehicle entry charge should be channelled to improve public transportations and for the enhancement of the local community, said Senai State Assemblywoman Wong Shu Qi, in her joint statement with Johor DAP state assemblypersons Andrew Chen Kah Eng (Stulang) Liow Cai Tung (Johor Jaya) and Cheo Yee How (Pengkalan Rinting) today.
“We urge the Johor State Government to fight for more allocation especially if the federal government is going to impose the border charge on foreign vehicles, to improve our local public transport system, reduce private vehicles on the road and improve our local economy through strengthening public transportation,” they said.
They added that since the purpose of having the entry charge of foreign vehicles is to reduce congestion, the revenue from the border charge imposed on foreign vehicles entering Johor Bahru should be spent on improving local public transport and enhancing the local economy. Otherwise, it would defeat the purpose of the border charge, they said.
The representatives said that if the new border charge on foreign vehicles was not done together with a comprehensive plan to improve our public transport, it would merely serve as a new income scheme for the federal government with no view of giving benefit for the local people.
Although the official reason given for the hike is to reduce private vehicles on the road, the proposed imposition of border charge should not be done merely as retaliation to Singapore raising their VEP, they said.
The assemblypersons had earlier expressed regret at the decision by the Land Transport Authority of Singapore to increase the Vehicle Entry Permit fee (VEP) from S$20 to S$35, as it would adversely affect Malaysian citizens who travel frequently between the two cities. Malaysians make up about 206,000 of the daily 300,000 Singapore-Malaysia commuters.
They said these Malaysians who commute to Singapore would be affected by Singapore’s VEP hike.
“We must acknowledge the fact that Malaysians are forced to own private vehicles since there is no “last mile” connection in our public transport system,” they said. People who are driving, paying mortgage loan and wasting their time on being stuck in the congestion could have better quality of living by having more disposable income from not using private vehicles if the public transport system is designed as an alternative and is implemented well.
The Singapore Land Transport Authority have recently announced that the fee for foreign-registered cars entering Singapore will be increased to S$35 (RM90), while fees for foreign-registered goods vehicles will be raised from S$10 to S$40 per calendar month. Following suit, newly-minted Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai announced that Malaysia is mulling a proposal to charge foreign vehicles entering the country’s borders. -The Rocket
