THE Seri Delima assemblyman has urged the state government to take legal action to stop the Penang Bridge concessionaire from collecting toll.

The agreement states that toll will be collected until 2038. 

The state government had stated before that the toll collection should be abolished as the cost of building the bridge had long been recouped since the bridge opened in August 1985.

R.S.N. Rayer (DAP-Seri Delima) said the state should initiate legal action to compel the federal government to disclose the concession deal and obtain an injunction to stop the bridge toll collection.

“We have plenty of lawyers in Penang. The state should consider this proposal,” he said, as he interjected during state public works exco Lim Hock Seng’s winding-up speech at the state legislative assembly.

Lim (DAP-Bagan Jermal) told Rayer to study his proposal further and advice the state government on the matter, as the latter was a well-known lawyer himself.

Earlier, Lim said Penang recorded 131 hillslope collapses in September and November following heavy rainfall incidents.

The northern state was hit by severe rainfall on September 15 and November 4 and 5 that caused flash floods and landslides at various locations.

Lim said there were 46 slope collapses (cerun runtuh) following the September 15 rain, and 85 cases on November 4.

The slope collapses happened along Public Works Department road reserves on Jalan Persekutuan Paya Terubong, Jalan Tanjung Tokong-Batu Ferringhi-Teluk Bahang-Balik Pulau, Jalan Tun Sardon and Penang Hill’s Jalan Jeep. – November 13, 2017.