PLUS made big bucks from Seremban folks!

Do you know how much we (the Seremban folks) paid PLUS every year? The answer is almost RM100 million per annum! I have raised up a written question in Parliament and the answer i got was shocking. Just refer to the table below and analyze it.

The statistics below are for the 3 toll plaza within Seremban town from January to October 2008:

Plaza Tol	Jumlah Kenderaan masuk (juta)	Jumlah Kenderaan Keluar (juta)	Jumlah Kutipan Tol (RM juta)
Seremban	6.38	5.79	30.52
PD (Utara)	2.11	2.02	6.75
PD (Selatan)	2.08	2.29	14.08
Senawang	6.10	6.43	30.94
Jumlah	16.67	16.53	82.29

In 10 months, PLUS collected over RM80 million. In average, they collected RM8 million every month! This figures did not include the collection for November and December which are peak periods for the highway. I bet they easily collected more than RM100 million in 2008 just from the 3 toll plaza within Seremban namely Seremban, PD and Senawang.

Well, aren't the 10% discount given by PLUS for midnight travellers are just peanuts? What "corporate social responsibility" they are talking about?

In our demonstration in Senawang yestersday, we have made 2 requests. Firstly, the 3 toll plaza within Seremban should be dismantled and make Seremban a toll-free city just like what is being practiced in Ipoh, Penang and JB. It means that if one take the PLUS highway from Seremban to Senawang, he/she needs not pay any toll.

Secondly, the KL-Seremban portion of the North South Highway should be made toll-free as well! This part of the highway was the first to be built and first to collect toll. They have collected more than 30 years and have made whatever returns they want to make. Is time for PLUS to practice "Corporate Social Responsibility" to the rakyat!

Seremban folks, do you agree with the 2 requests? .

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PLUS Travel Incentive - What say you?

As most of you have read in the newspaper today regarding the discount for toll rates at midnight starting 1st January 2009, i would like to give my two cents opinion here and hope to hear your feedbacks. The 3 incentives by PLUS are:

1) 10% discount from the tol rate for PLUS users between 12.00 midnight to 7 a.m.
2) Further 10% from the discounted rate between 12 midnight and 7 am during festive seasons (limited to 6 days)
3) Additional 5% incentive for Touch N Go and Smart tag users who spend more than RM200 a month.

Well, for me it is "too little, too late". It is a baby step after years of outburst by highway users against the unfair and lopsided highway agreement.

And not much can be felt by users with this incentives. The 10% discount should be applied across the board, all the time not only limited to midnight. Most users travel along the highway during day time and evening. Is the government encouraging the people to go home past midnight everyday? And travelling during midnight can be dangerous too due to sleepines, etc.

The discount during the 6 days festive period is not sufficient at all. What's the point giving discount on festive days itself? Most people "balik kampung" 2-3 days before the festive day, right? And the 19% is nothing to shout about. It should be free of charge during the period as this will reduce traffic jam at toll booth and encourage more people to travel by highway instead of trunk roads as most accident happened in trunk roads.

The Works Minister said that PLUS is adopting "Corporate Social Responsibility". Well, consider these facts before you agree with him especially Seremban folks;

1) KL-Seremban portion has collected RM3 billion so far and the collection period is until 2038

2) All upgrading work along the highway and expansion to 3 lanes are funded by the government's coffer (read, taxpayers' monies)

3) The proposed RM168 million new toll plaza near Seremban 2 will be built using government allocation (read, taxpayers' monies)

4) All the 940 new street lights installed recently from Nilai Utara to Seremban costing RM22 million were not borne by PLUS, your money again :)

Folks, what say you? . Read more!

NS folks have paid RM3 billion to PLUS!

I called another press conference today near the Seremban tol plaza regarding the issue of KL-Seremban highway. I asked a Parliamentary question on 25 June to the Works Minister to state the total amount collected by PLUS at the Seremban tol plaza since its started operation. The answer that i received is a whopping RM2.987 billion! Yes..almost 3B collected at the Seremban tol plaza alone from those who took the Seremban exit both from north and south bound.

And the worst is the consession period is extended till 2038, another 30 years! However, the minister said that the government is re-evaluating the agreement including the money collected so far, tol rate, the consession period and the maintainance for the highway. After the studies is completed, the government will re-negotiate with PLUS and a final decision will be made by the Cabinet. The new Minister, Datuk Mohd Zain has promised in Parliament that the studies will be completed in 3 months. I will never forget his promise!

Now, we have to really keep up the pressure to press the government to abolish the toll collection for KL-Seremban portion. PLUS have collected much more what they have expected and it is time the road be made toll-free for all Malaysians. RM3 billion is equaivalent to 15 years of revenue for NS state government! Being a toll operator in Malaysia is better than a state government!

I have found this info of "Hari ini Dalam Sejarah" in the internet, have a good refresh.

PEMBUKAAN PLAZA TOL LEBUHRAYA KUALA LUMPUR- SEREMBAN



Tarikh Siaran: 16.06.2004

Tarikh Peristiwa: 16.06.1982


Pada hari ini 16.06.1982 kedua-dua Plaza Tol Lebuhraya Seremban-Kuala Lumpur telah dibuka dengan rasminya oleh Datuk S. Samy Vellu Menteri Kerjaraya dan Kemudahan dan memulakan kutipannya.

Menteri Kerja Raya itu sendiri memulakan proses pengutipan tol tersebut dengan membayar tiket tol yang pertama pada jam 8.30 pagi di Plaza tol pertama dekat Kuala Lumpur. Menurut beliau sejumlah 20,000 buah kenderaan dijangka akan melalui kedua-dua buah plaza tol sepanjang lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur-Seremban.

Kerajaan menjangkakan akan dapat mengutip sekurang-kurangnya RM 12 juta setahun dari kedua plaza tol tersebut dan kira-kira RM 2.5 juta diperlukan untuk kerja-kerja penyelenggaraanya. Baki kutipan tersebut akan digunakan untuk membayar balik pinjaman dari Bank Dunia.

Menteri Kerja Raya juga mengingatkan para pengguna jalanraya tersebut supaya membayar tol atau menghadapi tindakan denda RM 1,000 atau penjara enam bulan atau kedua-duanya sekali sekiranya melanggar arahan membayar tol. Bagaimanapun para pengguna yang ingin mengelakkan bayaran tol boleh menggunakan jalanraya lama melalui Kajang dan Semenyih untuk ke Seremban dan sebaliknya.

Dengan pembukaan rasmi plaza tol di lebuhraya Seremban-Kuala Lumpur pada hari ini dalam tahun 1982 memulakan babak baru dalam penggunaan jalan-jalan bertaraf lebuhraya di negara ini.
Skrip: Diolah semula oleh ROSELINE MAPONG SABAI

Sumber: Skrip HIDS . Read more!