A Penang Umno leader has criticised the setting up of a toll plaza along the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (Borr).

Penanti state assemblyperson and Permatang Pauh Umno chairperson Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid said the Sg Nyior toll plaza was unjustified and unfair to workers and residents using the stretch.

"These people are mostly average income earners. It's a financial burden on them," he said.

On Monday, a group comprising residents and businessmen calling themselves the Anti-Sungai Nyior Highway Toll Collection Alliance, submitted a memorandum to Abdul Jalil calling for the abolishment of the toll.

The Umno leader said he will submit the memorandum to Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon next week.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Penang chairperson Zahrain Mohamad Hashim described the toll charges, which will commence on Feb 20, as 'ridiculous'.

"It seems the government implements toll charges for certain politically-linked companies to profit," he alleged.

Worldwide practice

Save Ourselves (SOS) secretary BK Ong concurred that it was wrong for the government to allow toll on a ring road built to reduce traffic congestion in an urban area.

He said Borr was built for traffic dispersal in the inner Butterworth area, encompassing the Prai industrial zone, Bagan Luar, Bagan Dalam, Bagan Jermal and Bagan Ajam commercial and residential hub.

He said it's the government's public duty to build the ring roads in urban areas to disperse traffic.

It's a worldwide practice, he said, adding that governments imposed toll for long-distance highways, and not urban roads.

"Why don't the Malaysian authorities emulate it?" he asked

The RM410 million-Borr comprises newly constructed and upgraded existing roads. The 16km-stretch cuts across Butterworth along a coastal route to provide an outer link between Megamal Pinang near the Penang Bridge and Sungai Dua toll plaza at the North-South Expressway.

Under the concession agreement signed between the federal government and Borr concessionaire, Lingkaran Luar Butterworth (Pg) Sdn Bhd (LLB), which is a joint venture company of Rayston Consortium Sdn Bhd (70 percent) and Etika Gemilang (30 percent), Borr will have three toll plazas - at Taman Inderwasih, Prai; Pantai Bersih, Bagan Ajam and Sungai Nyior.

Vehicle users would have to pay a toll between 50sen and RM3.90, depending on the vehicle class.

Toll rate at Sungai Nyior plaza is 90 sen (Class 1 & 5), RM1.80 (Class 2), RM2.70 (Class 3) and 50 sen (Class 4). The toll collection will last for 30 years.

The Sungai Nyior toll plaza is installed on an existing road that connects BKE with the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) in Bagan Jermal, Butterworth.

Plus upgraded the BKE - NBCT 5km stretch before handing it over to BKE developer. The federal government then bought it from BKE for an undisclosed sum and sold it to LLB for RM50 million.

150,000 vehicles

A survey revealed that about 150,000 vehicles use the stretch for 12 hours during peak time and more than 500,000 travelers would be affected by the toll.

They include factory workers, students, ferry and train commuters living in Butterworth, Bukit Mertajam, Kepala Batas, Sungai Dua, Tasek Gelugor, Kulim, Lunas and Sungai Petani.

Penang public transportation watchdog Cepat spokesperson Dr Choong Sim Poey said the Borr toll charges were unjustified in view of the poor public transport system in the state.

"Since the authorities have failed to provide an effective, reliable and affordable public transport system, he said the people were forced to use their own vehicles.

"Consequently this causes traffic congestions in urban areas, especially during peak hours. It's the government's responsibility to build more urban roads, including ring highways, to disperse the congestion.

"Therefore it's wrong to impose toll charges on vehicle users when the fault lies on the government's poor transport policy," said Choong.