Toll hike deferred till end of the year

(TheStar) PUTRAJAYA: The proposed toll increase for five highways effective from Sunday has been deferred till the end of the year.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed said the decision was reached at the Cabinet meeting on Friday following negative public reaction over the hike and the current economic situation.

On Thursday. Mohd Zin announced that road users would have to pay a higher toll when using the North-South Expressway (PLUS), the Sprint/Kerinchi/Damansara Link highways, Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Expressway (AKLEH), Sungai Besi Highway and the New Pantai Expressway (NPE).

For the PLUS highway, it was a 5% increase. This meant that toll charges from Bukit Kayu Hitam in Kedah to Kempas in Johor would increase from RM108 to RM113.40.

A trip from Kuala Lumpur to Ipoh would increase from RM26.50 to RM27.90.

For the Sprint/Kerinchi/Damansara Link highways, it was an increase of between 30sen and 50sen.

The Sungai Besi Highway was to see an increase of 10sen, while the AKLEH and NPE were to be increased by 50sen and 40sen respectively.

Mohd Zin had said the increase was minimal and hoped the public understood that the increase was stipulated in the concession agreements that the Government had signed.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, however, urged for the decision to increase the toll rates to be reconsidered.

He said the matter will be discussed in the Cabinet meeting Friday, which will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“People are having difficulties. The situation is not right for a toll hike. I feel that this matter needs to be discussed again in the Cabinet.

”The decision may come in the form of measures that will included in the second stimulus package or through some other measures,” he had said in Pattaya, where he was attending the Asean Defence Minister’s Meeting.