Split over vehicle entry fee

JOHOR BARU: Malaysians who drive a Singapore-registered vehicle should not be imposed with the Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) fee, especially when travelling the Johor Baru Causeway or Second-link Bridge at Tanjung Kupang, said Johor opposition leader Dr. Boo Seng Hou (DAP-Skudai).
Commenting on Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi statement recently that foreign vehicles entering Johor from Singapore will be charged a VEP fee of RM20 from middle of next year, Boo said, the Johor Pakatan in a survey done had found that many Malaysians drive daily for work or business trip with some using Singapore registered vehicles.
"These group of people will be badly hit by the VEP. Thus, the government should consider their plight and make some special arrangements so that they are not imposed with the fee," he added.
He suggested the two countries should set up a joint committee on the public transportation to discuss ways to reduce traffic congestion on causeway.
SMI Association of Malaysia president Teh Kee Sin said the two countries should sit down and discuss.
"We are neighbours, we have to complement each other and should not put a lot of walls between us," he added.
Meanwhile, Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association president Datuk Seri Tey Kim Chai expressed concern that the VEP collection will slow the traffic flow at the causeway.
He said, the government should design a mechanism for speeding the collection process.
"There are Plus collection and Eastern Dispersal Link Highway (EDL) collections on the causeway currently. If VEP need to pay at another counter, it may slow the traffic," he added.
He said, RM20 is a reasonable price with ringgit on a depreciation trend against strong Singapore Dollars.
He said, a Singapore car entering Johor Baru for a RM500 consumption, will only pay RM20 for VEP.
State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism executive committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the VEP would not have any effect on local businesses.
He said, the causeway still incurs traffic jam for up to 6 hours during the weekend and holiday season since the implementation of EDL toll on October.
He pointed out that the weak ringgit is a pull factor for Singaporeans to cross over for shopping and holiday.