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Our esteemed Works Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu was quoted saying that the toll rates for the Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (SMART Tunnel) will only be announced after the cabinet has convened on the matter. But that doesn’t stop us from speculating about it.

But before that, some background information. Kuala Lumpur suffers from annual flash floods. The flooding is relatively small compared to the one that hit Johor and other parts of Malaysia earlier this year. However, it causes its fair share of damage and problems for the millions of people that pass through the city daily.

The SMART Tunnel (an odd name since the acronym already has the word Tunnel in it. Tunnel Tunnel anyone?) is a mega project by Department of Irrigation and Drainage Malaysia (DID) as part of its Kuala Lumpur Flood Mitigation initiative. It is an impressive undertaking, building a tunnel that doubles as an underground pass into the city centre as well as a drainage system for flood waters.

In terms of construction and engineering, it was impressive enough to be featured in the Extreme Engineering series that is aired over the Discovery Channel. The episode, entitled MegaTunnel premiered on 8th March 2006 and focused on technology and science behind the construction of the SMART Tunnel. If you haven’t seen it, I suggest you do.

I travel along the Sungai Besi stretch of road almost daily and I’ve watched it transform from a huge mess into the state of near completion that it’s currently in. For the hassle it’s caused me in terms of traffic jams and massive crawls, I hope it was worth the wait.

When it opens, commuters will have the option to travel inside the tunnel for a toll fee. And that’s where the toll rates come in. What do you think is a reasonable amount to charge? Bear in mind the double usage and the RM1.8 billion cost of construction. Here’s what I think:

That’s my speculation. I think the price will be settled at the RM2.50 - RM3.50 mark. Is it a reasonable price to pay for a quicker commute in and out of the city via Sungai Besi? Maybe. The only question is how much does it cut down on travel time? Before the project and all the mini constructions along the stretch of road, a ride into the city would take around 30 minutes under normal rush hour traffic conditions and possibly 45minutes - 1 hour if traffic was extremely bad.

If the toll road could cut it down to under 30 minutes of commute (*gasp* 15 minutes *gasp*), then yes, it is definitely worth the price. However, if there was little or no difference in commute time whether you traveled under or above ground, then what’s the point?

When the tunnel opens, consumers will have a month’s worth of free commute via the tunnels. That’s as good a time as any to try it out and evaluate the difference in commute times. Just bear in mind that traffic within the tunnels will likely drop when the tolls rates are eventually levied. We all love free stuff.

Incidentally, they haven’t yet fully tested the system. I wonder how it will run under actual flood conditions. We’re entering into a period of drought so it will be a while before the need arises to actually activate the stormwater diversion. We’ll just wait and see. Who knows, Taman Desa lake where the waters are diverted might just overflow and put the whole hill under water. HAH!

What do you think the rates are going to be? What’s a reasonable amount that you would be willing to pay to travel the 9.7km stretch?