Road Charge comes into force RM20 FEE: RTD says no drop in number of cars coming in from Singapore IMPLEMENTATION of the Road Charge (RC) at two land checkpoints in Johor yesterday for all private foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia caught motorists off guard. As they fumbled with their Touch 'n Go cards at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) at the Causeway and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex at the Second Link, questions were raised about the payment process as soon as the new levy was implemented at midnight yesterday. To help motorists, signboards were erected at the car lanes to explain how they could use their prepaid cards for the RC. The new fee system requires drivers of private foreign-registered vehicles entering Malaysia through the Causeway and Second Link to pay RM20, which will be deducted from their Touch 'n Go card. Road Transport Department (RTD) deputy director-general Datuk Yusoff Ayob, who was at the BSI yesterday, said despite the initial confusion, the new payment system went on smoothly. "Motorists need some time to get used to it. We had some difficulty at first, but we ironed it out and there should not be any problems after this," he said, adding that 38 booths were opened for the RC at the Causeway. Yusoff said the number of staff manning the counters was sufficient to cater to 20,000 foreign motorists who entered both checkpoints daily. Singapore had labelled the new fee as "discriminatory" against drivers from the republic, but it had little bearing on the motorists as the number of foreign vehicles entering the two checkpoints was the same as any other weekday. Johor RTD director Mohd Rusdi Mohd Darus said the RC irnplementation had no effect on the number of foreign vehicles entering the checkpoints yesterday. "Of the 5,481 cars that entered Malaysia via the Causeway from midnight to 12pm yesterday, 3,735 were Singapore-registered cars. "There were 2,604 cars that entered Malaysia via the Second Link during the same period and 1,541 of them were Singaporean cars. " Singapore's Ministry of Transport was quoted by the Straits Times as saying that it had decided to match Malaysia's RC "in some form" after it labelled the newly-implemented charge as "discriminatory". "We will match it in some form," the ministry said, adding it would announce further details in due course. Since August 2014, Malaysia-registered cars entering Singapore are required to pay Vehicle Entry Permit (VEP) charges ofS$35 (RM105) a day, while motorcyclists pay S$4. There are no VEP charges on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. Deputy Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi said Singapore's decision to match the RC was unbecoming, considering Singapore had long imposed charges on Malaysian cars entering Singapore. Housewife Suhaidah Mohamad, 42, who had driven to Johor via the Second Link yesterday, said the new levy is not a burden as she only had to pay less than S$7 to enter Malaysia. "The levy for Singaporean drivers is still less than S$7. I will continue to come to Johor to buy groceries and medicine. "My husband is sick and requires conitinuous medication, so I cross the border often to buy medicine as it is cheaper due to the exchange rate," she said at one of the 24 booths opened for the RC at the Second Link yesterday. Simon Lee, a 35-year-old Singaporean, said he was unaware of the new levy when he entered via the Causeway. "The RC started today (yesterday)? No wonder RM20 was deducted from my card. I didn't know it started today,' Another motorist, Masswan Masmin, 39, believed the RC could help reduce congestion at the Causeway. "I think it Is' a positive move. Fewer Singaporeans will choose to go to Johor by car, unlike Malaysians who go to Singapore to work," said Masswan, who lives in Johor. SOURCE : NEW STRAITS TIMES | PAGE: 10 | 2 NOVEMBER 2016 .