With accidents mounting, more calls to demolish disused toll plazas sooner

SHAH ALAM: 50 days into the abolishment of toll collection at the Batu Tiga toll plaza, four lives have been claimed.
The most recent accident being the death of a motorist and a passenger who were killed in an early morning accident on Feb 19, when the car they were traveling in hit a pillar of the disbanded plaza.
Before that, on Jan 15, two others lost their lives while one other was left seriously injured in an accident at the same location.
While the toll plaza is proving to be a nuisance and menace to motorists using the Federal Highway, authorities have yet to tear it down, while measures to prevent further accidents from happening here are lackluster at best.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak had announced in his 2018 Budget tabling that toll collection at the Batu Tiga toll plaza, along with three others, would cease effective Jan 1 this year.
PLUS Malaysia Berhad had previously said the demolition of the toll plaza was only expected to be completed by the end of March.
Universiti Putra Malaysia's Road Safety Research Centre head Prof Dr Law Teik Hua however questioned the rationale offered as to why it was taking so long to demolish the structures.
"We cannot be certain that everyone knows the toll plaza has ceased operation. Some will slow down, thinking it is still in service, while others may speed through.
"This could potentially confuse motorists, and lead to accidents. They have to demolish it as soon as possible," he told theSun today.
Law said PLUS should at least remove the solid concrete structures of the plaza, which was initially built to protect toll operators from being crushed by incoming vehicles in case of accidents.
He also urged for more safety measures to be put in place to warn road users of the disused plaza.
"At least place clear signages or blinking lights leading up to the toll plaza to ensure motorists slow down," he said.
Many netizens have also chipped in their thoughts on the matter, urging for the demolition of the toll plaza to be expedited.