Malaysia Halves Highway Tolls for Eligible Drivers Ahead of Deepavali Weekend
The concession applies nationwide to Class 1 private vehicles and selected Class 2 vehicles, while two Singapore-bound toll plazas remain excluded.
Malaysia cut highway tolls by 50% for eligible private vehicles on Friday and Saturday ahead of Deepavali. The discount runs through 11:59 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, leaving trips on Sunday, the day of the festival, and the following two days outside the concession.
The discount covers Class 1 private vehicles at toll plazas nationwide and Class 2 vehicles at the Penang Bridge, Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said Thursday, according to Bernama. Two plazas serving crossings into Singapore are excluded: Bangunan Sultan Iskandar on the North-South Expressway and Tanjung Kupang on the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. Drivers passing through those plazas pay the usual rates.
The government estimated it would compensate highway operators about RM20.11 million for the reduction, with the amount subject to verification of traffic figures, The Star reported. For motorists, a trip with an eligible RM20 toll would cost RM10 during the discount. If the same trip is made in reverse on Monday, the ordinary RM20 toll would bring the round-trip total to RM30. That illustration assumes the same normal toll each way and no excluded plazas.
The Malaysian Highway Authority is coordinating the discount with the operators, Nanta said. He urged drivers using Touch 'n Go cards or e-wallets to check balances before leaving. The amount an individual driver saves depends on the normal toll for the route and whether the vehicle and plaza qualify.
The Return Rush Comes After the Discount
PLUS Malaysia expects heavier volumes heading into the Klang Valley on Monday and Tuesday as people return from the break. Its forecast covers Deepavali and the Nov. 7–10 school holiday period. Drivers may encounter heavier traffic on the way back even after the lower tolls have ended.
PLUS projected up to 2.24 million vehicles a day on its network at peak, compared with a typical day of 1.92 million. The operator expects about 42,000 vehicles on the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 on a peak day, versus 25,000 on a normal day. These are forecasts for travel planning. The 2.24 million figure describes a peak day's volume rather than the total number of trips during the holiday.
The operator's travel advisory in the PLUS app covers departures from and journeys back into the Klang Valley through Nov. 10. Suggested departure times are one way to spread demand across the day. Drivers can check the app or PLUS's official traffic account, @plustrafik, for current conditions separately from the advisory.
PLUS said it identified 32 locations for Smart Lane use. The measure temporarily puts a shoulder into service as a traffic lane when conditions warrant. Drivers should follow signs and directions at the site because the designation does not mean the shoulder will be open continuously.
PLUS also said its number plate payment option, JustGO, is available to registered motorists with an active vehicle in the app at enabled plazas. The operator excludes the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar plaza and plazas on the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 from that payment service. That list concerns how drivers pay. The government's holiday discount has its own plaza and vehicle rules.
