Nanta: Toll charges could've risen 83% without govt intervention

The Star

2 days ago

KUALA LUMPUR: Private vehicle users could have seen toll charges rise by as much as 83% at 10 highways nationwide this year if not for the government's decision to postpone the hike, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (pic).
He said the rates would have ranged between 50sen and RM4.56 for private cars or Class 1 vehicles, amounting to about RM136 monthly or RM1,632 annually.
The projections were based on a private car user travelling on 10 tolled highways for 20 days a month, or 240 days annually.
'If there was no postponement, road users would have felt a significant impact. We hope that it can at least ease the cost of living burden, especially for those who use the highways daily,' he said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
The 10 highways are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grandsaga), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Maju Expressway (MEX) and the Butter­worth Outer Ring Road (LLB).
Nanta said the toll hike postponement would involve all vehicles – from Class 1 to Class 5 except for the LLB.
The toll hike postponement for the LLB only applies to Class 5 vehicles, as Classes 1 to 4 have already reached the maximum toll hike rates allowed under the concession agreement.
Class 1 vehicles generally refer to private cars, Class 2 for vans and light goods vehicles, Class 3 for heavy vehicles with three or more axles, Class 4 for taxis, and Class 5 for buses.
He added that the government will also have to pay a compensation of RM568.92mil annually to the concessionaires owing to the postponement.
Nanta was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked about the implications of the government postponing toll rate hikes for this year.
On July 23, Prime Minister Da­­tuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim an­nounced the postponement of toll hikes for 10 highways that were scheduled to take effect this year.
On another matter, Nanta said abolishing tolls is not easy, adding that it will require the government to cough up billions for highway maintenance.
He said the funds could instead be used for other priorities.
'Instead, the government funds can be used in states like Kelantan, Terengganu or Sabah and Sarawak, which do not have tolled roads,' he told Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), who asked if the government planned to abolish tolls.
The minister said there was a possibility that toll rates could be reduced once highway concessionaires achieve their return on investment.
'Then, we can possibly see toll rates be reduced,' he said.