KUALA LUMPUR, April 21 ― In case you didn’t hear, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced earlier this week that highways will be free of tolls on April 19 to 21 and April 24, in conjunction with the enforced four-day Hari Raya Aidilfitri weekend. This is designed to give highway users enough time to travel back to their hometowns more cheaply. Here are six things you need to know.

When will I get free tolls during Raya?

The initiative, which will cost the government around RM93 million, came into effect at 12.01am yesterday and will last until 11.59pm tomorrow. The government is also allocating one toll-free day on Monday for those heading back, and this will also take effect from 12.01am to 11.59pm that day. However, you’ll still need to pay toll fares on the weekend proper, April 22 and 23.

As usual, you will still need to pass through tolls using a valid Touch ‘n Go card, SmartTAG (with a valid TnG card inserted, of course) or RFID tag to take advantage of the toll waiver.

Which highways will I not need to pay tolls on?

The full list of 33 participating highways are:

• North-South Expressway (PLUS)

• North–South Expressway Central Link (ELITE)

• Seremban-Port Dickson Highway (SPDH)

• Malaysia-Singapore Second Link

• Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE)

• Penang Bridge

• Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge

• East Coast Expressway (ECE) Phase 1 and 2

• Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway

• Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya)

• New Pantai Expressway (NPE)

• Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS)

• Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH)

• Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA)

• Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)

• Kajang SILK

• Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)

• Sprint Expressway

• Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP)

• Smart Tunnel

• Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grand Saga)

• New North Klang Straits Bypass (Grand Sepadu)

• Maju Expressway (MEX)

• Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE)

• Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)

• South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)

• Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR)

• Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR)

• West Coast Expressway (WCE)

• Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE)

• Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Expressway (SUKE)

• Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH)

What if I won’t make it to the exit by the deadline?

In the case of closed toll systems like the North-South Highway, you will need to enter and exit the highway during the toll-free period; if you, say, enter the highway before 11.59pm tomorrow and exit the highway after that deadline, you’ll be charged the full rate. Concessionaire PLUS has previously advised users to exit the highway at the nearest exit if they can’t make it to their desired exit by 11.59pm, then enter the highway again; that way, at least part of their journey will be free.

What about free EV charging?

Concurrently, five electric vehicle charging networks, JomCharge, Gentari, TNB Electron, ChargEV and Shell Recharge, will be offering free DC fast charging along Malaysia’s highways. The mechanisms are a little bit different for each one — TNB Electron follows the toll-free period set by the government (April 19 to 21, April 24), while JomCharge and Gentari’s stations are free from tomorrow, April 21 until Monday, April 24.

ChargEV says some of its chargers — aside from the Ayer Keroh DC charger, which has been free for some time — will also be free during the Raya period, but did not state which ones nor how long this period will be. As for Shell Recharge, its 180kW DC High Performance Chargers (HPC) are free of charge until May 3, but there’s a catch — the ParkEasy credits used will only be credited back to your account after the promo period, so you will actually still need to pay for charging on the day itself.

Which stations will I be able to charge for free?

The list of eligible charging stations are all on the North-South Highway, with the exception of the Gentari chargers in Gambang and the TNB Electron station in Paka, both on the East Coast Expressway (ECE). These include include:

• Petronas Juru Lay-by (Gentari, 30kW DC)

• Petronas R&R Gunung Semanggol Southbound (Gentari, 20kW DC)

• Petronas Pedas-Linggi Lay-by Northbound (Gentari, 180kW DC)

• Petronas R&R Gambang Eastbound (Gentari, 180kW DC)

• Petronas R&R Gambang Westbound (Gentari, 50kW DC)

• Caltex Restoran Jejantas Ayer Keroh Northbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• Caltex Restoran Jejantas Ayer Keroh Southbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• Caltex R&R Bukit Gantang Northbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• Caltex R&R Bukit Gantang Southbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• Caltex R&R Skudai Southbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• BHPetrol R&R Skudai Southbound (JomCharge, 120kW DC)

• Mini R&R Skudai Southbound (JomCharge, 50kW DC)

• TNB Electron R&R Tapah Northbound (100kW DC)

• TNB Electron R&R Ayer Keroh Northbound (90kW DC)

• TNB Electron R&R Paka Northbound (90kW DC)

• ChargEV Restoran Jejantas Ayer Keroh Southbound (50kW DC)

• Shell R&R Simpang Pulai Northbound (180kW DC)

• Shell R&R Tapah Southbound (180kW DC)

• Shell R&R Seremban Northbound (180kW DC)

• Shell R&R Seremban Southbound (180kW DC)

• Shell Tangkak Lay-by Southbound (180kW DC)

• Shell R&R Pagoh Northbound (180kW DC)

• Shell R&R Skudai Southbound (180kW DC)

Anything I need to be aware of when plugging in?

As always, do practice good EV charging etiquette such as removing your vehicle once you’re done charging and avoid charging up to 100 per cent at public DC chargers. It is recommended to avoid charging beyond 80 per cent as charging from 80-100 per cent takes a longer time. Be considerate of other users who will need the charger to continue their journey.

If you’re a new EV user, it is recommended to download these apps to help you find and activate EV chargers for your trip. To get a better picture of the status and location of a particular charger, you can also check out PlugShare which is essentially the "Foursquare” platform for EV charging. Users can leave their feedback, provide tips and share photos to help other users in the EV community. ― SoyaCincau