Latest news with #highway
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Nearly one million users to save RM1,600 annually, says works minister after toll hikes postponed for 10 highways
KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Nearly one million users are expected to feel a significant impact following the postponement of toll rate hikes at 10 highways, due to a substantial gap between the current toll rates paid by users and the rates stipulated in concession agreements. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the quantum of increase for Class 1 vehicles, as set out in the concession agreements for the 10 affected highways, ranges between 50 sen and RM4.56, equivalent to a 79 to 83 per cent hike. For instance, he said Class 1 vehicle users passing through the Kuala Lumpur–Putrajaya Expressway (MEX) Toll Plaza will save RM6.80 for a round trip. This is because the toll rate under the concession agreement for 2025 is RM6.90, but the current toll rate is being maintained at RM3.50 per one-way trip, he added. 'If this saving is multiplied over 20 days, or a typical month's usage, or 240 days in a year, the user will save RM136 a month or RM1,632 annually,' he said during the Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat today. He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN–Pekan) on the implications for highway users if the government had not postponed the toll rate increase for 2025. On July 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in an 'announcement of appreciation for Malaysians', said the government had agreed to postpone the toll rate hikes for 10 highways so that the public could continue to enjoy existing rates. The affected highways include the MEX Expressway, South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Senai–Desaru Expressway (SDE), Duta–Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) and Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR). Meanwhile, to a supplementary question from Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN–Besut), who asked why tolls in Malaysia are not abolished altogether, Nanta said it is not easy to abolish tolls, as the government would need substantial funding, including for maintenance works, which could run into billions of ringgit. He said such funds could otherwise be channelled to other purposes, including for the people in states without highways. 'However, once the concession companies have reached their return on investment (ROI), the current toll rates, which are said to be burdensome, can be reduced. That would be a more practical and realistic approach,' he said. — Bernama
CBS News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Semi-truck bursts into flames on eastbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim
A semi-truck burst into flames on the eastbound 91 Freeway in Anaheim Monday morning. The California Highway Patrol issued a Sig Alert for the two right lanes past Euclid Street. The cab of the semi-truck was fully engulfed in flames. Firefighters quickly responded to the scene, working to extinguish the blaze. According to the Anaheim Fire Department, the driver noticed smoke from the left side of the truck. He pulled over and noticed a fire had started. He was able to get out of the truck without any injuries. Drivers are urged to use alternate routes while crews continue to clear the roadway. It is unclear how the fire started.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Aussie drivers say Australian roads have never been more dangerous
OPINION: I don't know what's going on at the moment, but it seems like half of Australia has forgotten how to drive, or maybe they never learnt. Every week, I'm in a different cars for work, from American muscle vehicles like the Silverado to a cute Corolla Cross. But lately, it feels like no matter what I'm behind the wheel of, I'm a moving target for bad behaviour, road rage and a total disregard for basic driving etiquette. On a typical day this week, I saw a Jeep mounted on a concrete highway divider. You read that right, not next to it, not against it, on top of it while leaning against a car, it was like an off-road adventure gone wrong. A few days before that? A truck collided with a school bus. The same week, a car flew across three lanes and T-boned someone trying to merge. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. Australia's national road toll is the highest it's been in years. As of this month, 1,329 people have died on our roads in the past year, a 3.3 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. These numbers are no surprise when you witness what is happening on Australian streets. This morning, for instance, I was in a Toyota Corolla Cross, cruising along the freeway at 99 in a 100 zone, in the middle lane, just listening to good music. That was apparently too much for the truckie behind me, who decided that tailgating me within an inch of my rear bumper was the best way to say hello. He sat there flashing his lights. I think that's the polite way to tell me to get the f*** out of his way, I didn't. He then sped up in the left lane, overtook me and slammed on his brakes. Nice one, mate. You won what? An extra five metres? A false sense of masculinity? Five minutes later, I've got a P-plater in a '90s LandCruiser crawling up my tail. Here we go again. I move over this time, because clearly today I'm a rolling doormat, and as he speeds past, he gives me the finger like I just insulted his beautiful, beaten-up LandCruiser. Let me write this again…he gave me the finger for doing the speed limit in the middle lane. I'm sorry, when did being a decent human on the road become something to be punished for? I began my research, I called a few friends and started scrolling through chat groups. I'm not the only one fed up. Drivers are saying they're too anxious to drive at night, or the moment they see a truck with a semi trailer, they pull right over into the left lane, and some even avoid the freeway altogether. Reddit threads on Australian driving have exploded lately with fed-up drivers venting. For instance, Thomwas1111, who recently moved back to Australia from Denmark, said, 'The absolute state of some of the drivers here is impressively shit compared to there. Zero patience. All rage.' Knewell82 lost it over bad merging: 'The one that shits me the most is people doing 60km/h on a ramp and only speeding up to 100 once they're actually on the freeway. It's so much more dangerous trying to merge with a 40km/h speed difference.' It's getting so bad that some drivers admit they've changed how they drive. MiserablePiano5211 wrote: 'I leave a huge gap in front of me for trucks and psychos, because if they don't see me, I'm the one who's f*****.' Others go even further, SkelerAries admitted they park far away from the shopping centre just to avoid the 'shit driver who can't reverse without hitting something'. Then my favourite, Rodza81, who dropped this iconic summary of Australian roads: 'Rule 1: Assume everyone is trying to kill you. Rule 2: Speed cameras aren't for safety. Rule 3: Most drivers never bothered to actually learn the road rules.' He's not wrong, some Aussie drivers don't signal anymore, they cut across lanes, they tailgate, speed, swerve and treat road rules like they don't even exist. When something goes wrong? 'It's the other guy's fault'. Of course it is. Also, why are these people on the road? How do they have a license? I don't mean to generalise, but I'm going to, because it is always the same people. It's the lifted ute with a massive bullbar, the 4WDs, it's the grey HiLux with one headlight and zero care. It's the P-plater doing 140 down the Monash, or the truck driver who just loves being a bully. Just last year, my colleague David McCowen wrote a piece similar to this topic it was about how drivers in compact cars are treated with less respect on the road. How he was bullied driving a MG 3 hatch. So question for all you bullies - where the hell are you all going in such a rush? If you're consistently risking your life, and mine, to shave two minutes off your trip, maybe the issue isn't traffic, maybe you're the issue, poor time management or perhaps poor manners? As someone who drives for a living, can we all calm down? Being a 'good driver' isn't about speed or confidence, or owning the road. It's about not being a jerk. This isn't the Grand Prix track. If you want that, then go book a driving day with Audi or Mercedes, and go let off some steam in a controlled space. I'm fed up, and I know I'm not the only one.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Oversized load hits bridge in Kansas City, closing I-35 NB for several hours
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The northbound lanes of Interstate 35 near Northeast Vivion Road in Kansas City were closed for several hours Friday after a truck hauling an oversized load hit a bridge, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. No injuries were reported in the crash, which was reported about 9:50 a.m. View the Kansas City traffic and live coverage on FOX4 The highway patrol said the crash involved a truck that was hauling some equipment. The Missouri Department of Transportation was called to the scene to assess the damage. By 1:30 p.m., the highway patrol said in an update on X that the highway was reopened. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CBS News
Motorcyclist, 20, seriously injured in Detroit crash on highway ramp
A 20-year-old motorcyclist is in the hospital after a crash on a highway ramp in Detroit early Saturday, according to Michigan State Police. The crash happened around 1:25 a.m. on the ramp from eastbound Interstate 96 to northbound Interstate 75. A witness at the scene told police the motorcyclist was approaching 100 miles per hour on the ramp and lost control when driving around a curve. The motorcycle hit a concrete wall, the witness said, sending both the motorcyclist and the bike over the wall and down a grass embankment. The motorcyclist from Eastpointe, Michigan, was taken to the hospital with serious injuries, police said. Northbound I-75 in the area of the crash was closed for around two hours while officials investigated.
