Up, up and away!

Well, I guess it's been a long time coming. An increase in the road toll rates, effective 1st January. Just that the quantum of increase had not been announced yet. Reason being that the government cannot afford to compensate the toll operators further, and stipulated increases had been set into their existing contracts. But I guess that is life then isn't it? Increases in cost of living, which is unfortunately not offset by increase in salary. No wonder people have so many grouses...

My beef is this...an increase in the toll rates should be accompanied by efficiency of the toll operators. As it is a lot of the tolled roads are suffering from massive jams caused by a teeny weeny insignificant accident (most of the time anyway), as much as narrow roads (not fit to be called a highway...read Lebuhraya [that's highway in Malay], Damansara-Puchong, which is a two-lane road) leading to traffic congestion. Sure, in their defence they will mention the rise in consumer spending leading to increase in the number of cars on the roads, which exceeds their projections then. But I think they can manage other reasons better.

1. Like towing away accident-involved cars away as soon as possible
2. Managing the congestion at toll booths (read LDP, again!!) by directing traffic there properly (um,
those who use LDP during peak hours would understand this - drivers cutting in to the paying
lanes from the Touch N' Go lanes because of haphazard driving, possibly because of
poorly-placed lanes)
3. Increasing the width of roads (well, this is subject to land space)
4. Providing alternative exits to users (God-forbid, that is not an option!!)

Having said that, traffic jams are a common occurrence and will in the future, get worse. That is why the integrated transport system here, if done properly could relieve much of the congestion. The key word here is properly. Because private companies always think of profits...and previous attempts failed because of that. A transport system, in my opinion should not be privatised until it in in place...to ask a private company to come up with a proper transport system without solid financial backing is doomed to failure.

Until then we again have to stomach the increases and weather the pain...so it means less road-travelling for me and more on the Internet highway...and that is cheaper and free of jams (most of the time anyway!)