Latest news with #highwaymaintenance
Free Malaysia Today
16 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Abolishing tolls would cost billions, says minister
The toll hike freeze was among the initiatives announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on July 23. PETALING JAYA : Abolishing tolls instead of deferring hikes may cost the government billions of ringgit in maintenance, says works minister Alexander Nanta Linggi. Nanta said scrapping tolls was not a straightforward move, and that deferring increases was a more practical and realistic option. Alexander Nanta Linggi. He added that savings from not abolishing tolls could be redirected to benefit Malaysians in states without tolled highways such as Sabah, Sarawak, and Terengganu. 'It's not easy to abolish tolls because the government must find a huge sum for maintenance work if that happens. 'In my view, we don't need to abolish tolls for now. But if these (concession) companies have achieved their returns on investment, and if the toll rates are burdensome, then we can reduce them,' he said during ministerial question time in the Dewan Rakyat. He did not specify the exact amount needed to abolish the tolls. Nanta was responding to Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN–Besut), who asked what had happened to Pakatan Harapan's pledge to abolish tolls during the 15th general election. He reiterated that the government was compensating highway concessionaries with RM568.92 million, or over half a billion ringgit. The deferral on 10 highways would also benefit about 941,000 users, he added. 'We hope this deferment will help ease the cost of living, especially for frequent highway users who commute to work each day,' he said. The toll hike freeze was among the initiatives announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on July 23, as part of what he described as 'appreciation for Malaysians'. The 10 highways involved in the deferment are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grand Saga), KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR), North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), KL-Putrajaya Expressway (MEX), and Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB).
BBC News
2 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Further 'general housekeeping' road closures planned
A rolling programme of work to Derbyshire's dual carriageways will continue through "general housekeeping" programme began in July with closures required for grass cutting, tree and shrub trimming, gulley and drain clearing and repairs to potholes and road picks are also being carried out during the closures by district and borough Member for Potholes, Highways and Transport Councillor Charlotte Hill, said closures had been planned "outside of peak times" where possible and "lots of different jobs" would be tackled "at the same time". The A619 Rother Way, in Chesterfield, will be closed on Saturday 2 August between 04:00 and 11:00 A61 will also be closed in Chesterfield from Tesco to Hornsbridge roundabout on Sunday 3 August between 04:00 and 16:00 GMT, and from Tesco to Whittington Moor roundabout on Sunday 10 August between 04:00 and 16: is also planned further along A61 near Derby which will lead to a closure from Little Eaton to Pektron island on both Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 August, between 21:00 and 04:00 the next day. The A516 has lane closures scheduled from the A38 junction to Mickleover roundabout on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 August between 09:30 and 15:30, and along Derby Road, Hilton, underneath the A50, on Friday 8 August between 21:00 and 04:00 the next closures will be put in place on the A6007 Chalons Way in Ilkeston on Monday 11 August between 09:30 and 15: the A38 South Normanton has lane closures planned from M1 Junction 28 to the county boundary on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 August, both from 04:00 to 11:00.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Malay Mail
Nanta: Works Ministry to appoint independent auditors for highway contracts from 2026
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — The Works Ministry (KKR) will include the involvement of independent auditors as a new component in highway maintenance contracts starting next year. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said third-party auditing is important to ensure that monitoring does not rely solely on the Public Works Department (JKR), but also involves external parties to enhance accountability, integrity and transparency. He said most of the maintenance contracts will expire in February 2026. 'Without external auditors, monitoring of concession companies would rely only on JKR officers to ensure that maintenance work is properly carried out,' he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on a Bernama Radio programme today. Nanta stressed that the public has the right to safe and quality road maintenance services, and that the ministry is committed to ensuring that the transition to a new system is not only more transparent but also effective in safeguarding the interests and safety of all road users. Meanwhile, during the programme, Nanta said every highway concessionaire entrusted with road maintenance must comply with the contract and carry out their duties efficiently and responsibly. He noted that there are still parties which fail to fulfil their responsibilities despite various public complaints, including viral images and videos. 'As such, I, along with senior KKR and JKR officers, have gone to the ground ourselves to investigate and assess actual performance in the field. 'The government will re-evaluate the need to impose legal action or penalties against road maintenance contractors or concessionaires if it is proven that negligence led to fatal accidents, especially if they stem from failure to carry out required maintenance work as stipulated in the contract,' he said. Nanta added that current maintenance contracts include clauses for payment deductions if contractors fail to deliver, including on road safety aspects. 'In addition, the contract also allows for termination if the contractor fails, is negligent, violates, or does not fulfil their responsibilities in carrying out routine maintenance as required,' he said. On the MYJalan mobile application, Nanta said that between August 2023 and June 30, 2025, it recorded 39,371 complaints. Of these, 11,959, or 30.4 per cent, were screened and identified for investigation and action by relevant agencies for roads under KKR's jurisdiction, while the remaining 27,412, or 69.6 per cent, were categorised as No Wrong Door (NWD) complaints. — Bernama
