PKR was right about SMART

From The Star today:

SMART toll set at RM2

KUALA LUMPUR: Users of the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART) will be charged a RM2 toll from 11.59pm on June 14, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said.

He said the toll would be increased again in three years, adding that the price was right as the tunnel concessionaire had forked out RM640mil to build it.

Noting that there was no Government subsidy involved, he said: “In any part of the world where tunnels are built, the toll is higher.

(for full article, click here)

Looks like PKR was right after all on the toll rates for SMART as well as the fact that there will be an increase from 1 Jan 2010...some two half years (or 3 according to Samy) after commencement of toll collection. So Samy was indeed "right" for fuming at PKR!

Anyway, back to the main issue at hand, excuses are starting to fly regarding the Sunday evening flash flood. This is what the Drainage and Irrigation Department Deputy Director Ahmad Fuad has to say:

...the floods around Dataran Merdeka and Masid Jamek were caused by Sungai Kelang bursting its banks at the confluence of Sungai Gombak.

"A storm which causes the river to overflow – that is exactly what the SMART flood tunnel is being built to overcome," he said at a press conference organised by Kuala Lumpur City Hall here yesterday.

(for full article, click here)

The sad truth is that while the concessionaire was eager to open the road portion of the tunnel so that they could start collecting toll earlier, the floodwater diversion function would only be operational next month! Common logic would have it that the main focus of the concessionaire would be to complete the flood diversion components as fast as possible. They are now giving reasons that they have yet to complete the some 200 dams and retention ponds that form the floodwater diversion solution, and could only be ready next month. Yet no reasons seem forthcoming on why they could have the road portion operational so quickly and start toll collection when the main function of the tunnel is not even ready!

Meanwhile, while fingers start pointing around (nothing new in bolehland), Malaysians have to suffer the indignation of yet another damaging flood which was avoidable. Offices, houses, places of worship, carparks, goods, books, cars, and shops were damaged one way or another. Click here and here for more details. With the unpredictable weather we are facing this month and for some months to come, I do hope the PM's outburst would at least kick butts and ensure that tunnel will function as it's supposed to be ASAP, and prevent another devastating round of flood.