Highway tolls up next month, by 50 sen to RM2

Fifteen national highways, the bulk of them in and around the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, are to increase their toll rates from 50 sen to as high as RM2 from Jan 1, 2014, newspapers reported today. 

However, the New Straits Timesquoted Works Minister Fadillah Yusof (right) as saying that the exact amount for the toll hike has not been decided.

The highways include the New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP), Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh), Western KL Traffic Dispersal System (Sprint), Konsortium Expressway Shah Alam Selangor (Kesas), Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Maju Expressway (Mex), Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya), Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart) and Sistem Lingkaran-Lebuhraya Kajang (Silk).

Fadillah said according to highway concession agreements, the concessionaires could adjust the toll rate every three years.

RM1 billion paid out to concessionaires

However, he said, the concessionaires have not adjusted the prices in the past six years, and therefore, this price hike will be double the rise.

"The government has to fork out RM400 million in compensation if it does not allow the adjustment," Sin Chew Daily quoted Fadillah as saying. 

He said the government had already paid RM1 billion in 2012 to maintain toll rates in 2008 and 2011.

"If the government allows the toll rates adjustment, then it can save RM400 million for other projects," Fadillah said.

Besides the 15 highways, the remaining of the total 29 highways in the country will raise toll rates in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The ministry last week deniedspeculation that toll rates would go up by 30 sen to RM1 next year, depending on the highway, but said the matter was still under discussion. 

Some parliamentarians oppose the RM400 million compensation, arguing that not all road users benefit from the highways.

Yesterday, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Abdul Wahid Omar said toll increases need not affect everybody, since as road users still have the choice of using trunk roads if they do not want to pay toll. 

This drew criticism from several quarters, including Umno Youth, which said toll roads were the only option for many urban dwellers.