The WCE highway (West Coast Expressway) from Taiping to Beruas can be used for free for two months from midnight tonight until next May 11. The WCE highway was opened from 12.01 midnight yesterday.

Public Works Minister, Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the new route was free in conjunction with Ramadan and Aidilfitri.

“We are grateful to the WCE concessionaire and Malaysian Highways Authority (LLM) for providing free tolls for two months from 12.01 midnight (yesterday) until May 11 in conjunction with Ramadan and Aidilfitri. This service is also a request from the Menteri Besar of Perak (Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad).

“The provision of free tolls is different from tolls in other places which are up to two months because it takes into account the arrival of Ramadan and the Eid al-Fitr festival season which is usually celebrated longer,” he told reporters after the opening ceremony.

The WCE Section 11 route that was opened this time involves a 35.5km long route with a construction cost of RM422 million connecting users directly from the PLUS highway at the Changkat Jering Toll Plaza to Beruas. Thus the travel time from Changkat Jering to Beruas takes only 20 minutes compared to 55 minutes via the existing route.

The total length of the WCE is 233km from Banting, Selangor to Beruas. The WCE, which began construction in August 2014, cost RM5.044 billion. Of that amount, RM1.922 billion was the cost for the construction of the alignment package in Perak, while the remaining RM3.122 billion was the alignment construction package in Selangor.

Earlier in his speech, the Minister said that the WCE was built with the goal of being an alternative route in reducing traffic congestion thus improving the country’s communication network. He expects the WCE to be an alternative route to the existing route from the Klang Valley to the North region, especially for residents on the west coast of peninsular Malaysia.