PATTAYA, 26 Feb 2009: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he will ask the Cabinet to reconsider the toll increase for five expressways scheduled to be effective on 1 March, because it is presently inappropriate.
He said the review would be discussed at the Cabinet’s weekly meeting tomorrow, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
“Review is the best thing to do. After that we will make a just decision,” he told Malaysian journalists covering the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting here today.
The prime minister said although the increase was in accordance with the terms of the concession agreements signed between the government and the highway concessionaires, the decision made by the Cabinet several weeks ago might not be appropriate with the current situation.
A new approach would be sought to deal with the issue, including allocations under the second stimulus package that would be tabled in Parliament next month, he said.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed announced today that toll rates for five highways will be increased by 0.68 to 50 sen effective 1 March.
He said the increase was in accordance with the concession signed between the government and the respective highway concessionaires.
They are the North South Highway (PLUS), SPRINT (Kerinchi Link and Damansara Link), Ampang Kuala Lumpur elevated highway (Akleh), Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway (NPE).
Rates for Federal Highway Route 2 linking Batu 3, Shah Alam to Sungai Rasau, Klang and the North South Expressway would go up from 13.60 sen per km to 14.28 sen per km. However, it does not cover Bukit Kayu Hitam, Tambak Johor and Bangunan Sultan Iskandar.
Toll rates for SPRINT, Akleh, Besraya, and NPE will see an increase of between 10 sen and 50 sen.
For SPRINT, the increase is 50 sen at the Pantai toll plaza and 30 sen at the Damansara toll plaza. Akleh toll rates will be increased by 50 sen, Besraya by 10 sen and NPE by 40 sen.
He added that toll rates for PLUS, SPRINT and Akleh were supposed to have been increased beginning 1 Jan 2008 but were delayed for 14 months and cost the government RM245 million in compensation.
PLUS was paid RM177 million, SPRINT received RM38 million while another RM30 million was paid out to Akleh, he said.
The works minister added that the increase in toll rates was approved by the Cabinet, following an appeal by the concessionaires.
He added that since the concession for toll, signed between the government and concessionaire, has become a public documents, the public can view such documents to see for themselves the details in the agreements. — Bernama
Netural10 says
There they go again! Daylight robbery of the rakyat’s hard earned money!
How on earth can Mohd Zain and the highway concessionaires think of raising toll when the waves of recession are splashing on our door steps?
Does Mohd Zain have any real capacity to review toll rates and simultaneously pay compensation? What about the survival and subsistence of the pensioners and the lower income group? Can we start eating the submarines, Shukoi and other military hardware to battle the full impact of the impending recession?
God bless the suppressed!