Toll 'Ang Pow' For Chinese New Year

KAJANG, Feb 8 (Bernama) -- Motorists using 17 highways will receive incentives such as 'toll free' rides and discounts from toll concessionaires as 'ang pow' for the Chinese New Year.

As an appreciation for motorists, the concessionaire of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway and East Coast Highway (Phase 1) has decided to allow free rides on Feb 11 and Feb 15, from 11.30pm to 4.30am.

Other highway concessionaires will be offering between five and 20 per cent discounts for those using the highways.

Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor when announcing the incentives said it was the first such incentive for Chinese New Year.

"In other words, this is an 'ang pow' from toll concessionaires for motorists using their highways," he told reporters after launching the ministry's Road Safety Campaign in Semenyih Monday.

Highways offering discounts on Feb 14 are Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), SPRINT Highway, New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya), Smart Expressway, Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh), Shah Alam-Kuang Guthire Corridor Expressway, KL-Putrajaya Expressway, Duta-Hulu Klang Expressway (Duke), Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grand Saga), Shah Alam Expressway and Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK).

The North South Expressway (Plus) offers discounts on Feb 10, 11, and 12 while the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) will be offering their discounts on Feb 17, 18 and 19.

Currently, there are 26 toll concessionaires operating in the country.

Shaziman said the initiative by concessionaires to voluntarily offer incentives and discounts, reflects their customer oriented concept and approach.

He added that his ministry hopes to identify 30 accident prone areas (black spots) soon to carry out upgrading work.

Between April and December last year, the ministry had carried out upgrading works at 10 such spots, involving costs between RM200,000 to RM10 million at each location, he said.