Put off by high toll of utilising SDE

Going toll-free temporarily at Senai Desaru Expressway (SDE) may ease traffic congestion in Pasir Gudang and Johor Baru caused by ongoing roadworks.

Tiram assemblyman Azizul Bachok said part of the reason motorists avoided using SDE was the high toll charges and longer distance.

“For example, heavy vehicles, especially in Kota Masai and Pasir Gudang industrial areas, have direct access to SDE.

“But they prefer to go through Pasir Gudang Highway as it is free and the travelling distance is shorter compared to SDE.

“With the current congestion, I think the government could implement a temporary waiver for motorists to use SDE to travel between Senai, Johor Baru (via Ulu Tiram) and Pasir Gudang,” he said when contacted.

Azizul said current toll charges for private vehicles from Cahaya Baru to Ulu Tiram were about RM5 to RM11.

“The charges double if they travel between Senai and Cahaya Baru.

“But most of the complaints my office have received are from motorists who arrive late for work,” said Azizul, whose office is about 3km from the Cahaya Baru toll plaza.

He said this needed further study to calculate the costs absorbed by Johor government.

“Do we want to divert only heavy vehicles or all vehicles?

“And would this diversion cause another major congestion at the destination?

“There are some things that we need to look at first before we can introduce anything, and most importantly, how long the current roadworks will take. If the project is extended, the government will need to spend more,” he added.

Azizul said the government could also take this opportunity to study a long-term project to address congestion in Pasir Gudang, especially upgrading the cargo railway from Pasir Gudang to Kempas.

“Under the Ulu Tiram Master Plan 2030, we touched on the possibility of introducing Light Rail Transit (LRT) between Kempas and Pasir Gudang.

“Currently, the railway is only meant to carry cargo; if we could expand the station to either carry passengers or more cargo, I believe we can reduce the number of vehicles on the Pasir Gudang Highway,” he added.

On Sept 29, The Star reported that over half of the 23 roadworks along Pasir Gudang Highway had been completed, with the Johor government pushing for the rest to be finished as soon as possible to avoid worsening traffic congestion.

Johor works, transportation and infrastructure committee chairman Mohamad Fazli Mohamad Salleh said traffic conditions had improved with most of the roadworks having been completed.

There are now eight projects remaining.