The government's decision to implement a toll hike at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex in Johor Baru is "not acceptable" and is "ill timed", Gerakan Youth vice-chairperson Yap Wen Piau said in a statement today.

Yap said that he "regretted" the government's decision to allow for the hike without public consultation beforehand.

"The big scale toll hike will become another political issue for the Opposition to hype on, to demonise to their benefit," he said.

Yap warned that the six-fold hike would lead to a "wave of inflation".

"The decision will seriously impact consumers’ willingness and mood to spend in Johor Baru," he said.

Yap argued that since many people "did not understand" the rationale behind the toll hike, the government must clarify it to the people.

"The government should explain how the higher toll collections will be spent, to relieve their grievances," he said.

The CIQ toll hike had caused a protest from factory bus drivers, who refused to pay the toll charges and caused a massive congestion on the causeway leading to Singapore last Friday.

'People should not be punished'

Meanwhile, DAP's Senai state assemblyperson Wong Shu Qi said that up to 50 percent of Johorean families will be affected by the toll hike, coupled with Singapore's decision to hike its its Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fees.

 

"People should not be punished for driving their own vehicles if there is no feasible alternative of commuting provided by the government," she said in a statement.

 

"The government should try to revive public transport service within Iskandar Malaysia by using existing infrastructure that has been long neglected," she added.

Wong ( left ) said that both Malaysian and Singaporean governments should first improve connectivity from the house to workplace.

 

"Direct buses to the workplace should be implemented to reduce the number of motorcyclists and road fatalities," she said.

 

She also said that the people should be allowed to walk into Singapore again, and a walkalator should be installed for that purpose.

 

"According to a survey I have sighted, almost 50 percent of all Johorean families have relatives working in Singapore while 30 percent have immediate family members that commute daily to work," she said.

 

"I suggest that the state government conduct a survey to understand clearly how the latest toll hike and coming border charges are going to hurt our own people," she added.