JOHOR BARU – Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias (Jelebu-BN) has claimed congested roads are among the factors causing mental health issues for city dwellers.
One of the causes of traffic jams in cities, Jalaluddin told the Dewan Rakyat, happens to be poor management of toll booths.
The Jelebu MP said this is due to poor technology and insufficient lanes to ensure the smooth flow of vehicles.
“How many years have we been giving money to toll companies?
“We can’t keep using the same method to collect toll fares. The barriers sometimes barely work, so why can’t we use sensors?” asked Jalaluddin.
Meanwhile, the Umno man also highlighted that there are various methods to pay tolls such as Touch N’ Go, RFID, and Smart Tag, but the number of lanes is not distributed properly.
He said toll booths usually have more Smart Tag lanes than RFID ones, but points out that road users are no longer able to buy new Smart Tag devices.
“There are more Smart Tag lanes than RFID, but you can’t buy Smart Tag devices anymore.
“How many more years are these companies going to enjoy the concession without improvements?
“This problem is causing mental torture for road users.
“Toll prices keep going up, but RFID users are always getting stuck at toll booths,” Jalaluddin added.
The Jelebu MP’s comments on the management of toll booths were made while debating Budget 2023 at the committee stage today. – The Vibes, March 20, 2023