Plus highway entitled to up toll rates by 5pct next year

PARLIAMENT North-South Expressway (NSE) and all the highways built and operated by Plus Malaysia Bhd will be entitled to make a five percent toll rate hike in 2016, and the toll rates will be reviewed every three years until the contracts end in 2038.

This is according to Deputy Works Minister Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin in a written statement, following her reply on the NSE in the Dewan Rakyat.

"Based on the suplementary concession contract of Plus, which was signed in November 2011, the government and the concessionaire have agreed that toll rates on all highways under Plus will not be increased from 2011 to 2015," Rosnah said.

"The next hike for all highways under Plus, with the exception of Penang Bridge, will be in 2016. The agreement stipulates a five percent hike every three years from 2016. Penang Bridge's toll rate will remain until 2038," she said.

Other affected highways under Plus Malaysia are the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), Federal Highway Route 2 (FHR2), Seremban Port-Dickson Highway), North-South Expressway Central Link (NSECL), Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (MSSL) and the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE).

Last week, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof admitted that the government would have to pay RM214 million to Plus as compensation if it denies toll hikes for its highways.

The government has no intention, for now, to extend the concession of North-South Expressway (NSE), which will end by 2038, Rosnah told the Dewan Rakyat during the question-and-answer period.

"At present, the government has no plans to extend the concession period," she said in reply to Ahmad Fauzi Zahari (BN-Setiawangsa), who asked about the highway toll hikes.

Ahmad Fauzi asked the government to reveal the details of the toll rate increases so that the people could be prepared for it.

Meanwhile, Rosnah also admitted Plus made only RM8.4 million as profit after tax from RM2.61 billion it collected as toll revenue last year.

[More to follow]

-Mkini