Wednesday, February 10, 2010

BRUNEI TO ATTRACT TOURIST - TOLL TO REVIEW




While the authority concern are currently promoting and attracting tourist to come and visit our beautiful and peaceful country, Brunei Darussalam, the public was concern to find that the Toll of the Rasau Bridge, that managed by the Brunei Government’s department, a 100-meter stretch of road in Kuala Belait, is probably Asean’s most expensively taxed roadway.

The B$3.00 toll that motorists and B$5.00 for the tourist buses have to pay using the road to the Rasau Bridge is most probably more expensive that any other toll collection in the neighboring countries. I had received a continuous flow of public as well as tourists complaints with the view that the toll collection at the Rasau Bridge is too expensive for frequent travelers and tourists from the neighboring country and the road is far from an expedient motorway.

I do believed that during the recent the Asean tourism special working committees meeting had discussed the Asean Tourism Strategic Plan 2011-2015 had put up some strategic plan to include private sector participation, liberalization and travel facilitations.

The plan includes recommendations on a wide range of policies and reforms like among other issues such as quality standards, investment strategies, crisis management and communications, infrastructure, customs and immigration policy.

The public are full aware that it is the duty of the government to provide certain essential amenities for the country, such as roads and bridges. It is thus illogical to set a high toll especially to the tourists on the users of the road of Rasau Bridge.

Another example of the other bridges build through out the country, such as Tutong Bridge, Telisai Bridges and Bandar Seri Begawan Bridge, pointing out that use of these bridges are free, adding that the Rasau Bridge is just the same as any other bridges in Brunei.

The public hope that the government could look seriously into this public concern, and make the necessary review and come up with a solution to this problem of heavy toll. Suggestions was put up to the authority concern to either implement the same toll payment on all the bridges in the country or to do away with payment of the toll altogether.


TITAH DIJUNJUNG – MEMPERKASAKAN RAKYAT

Oleh: Dr Haji Mohd Hatta Bin Hj Zainal Abidin