BARU DROPS BOMBSHELL – TOLL FIRMS ALREADY COLLECTED MORE THAN DOUBLE THE COST OF HIGHWAYS: BUT IS HE, THE WORKS MINISTER, GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT – OTHER THAN GRIPE?

Works Minister Baru Bian revealed that toll concessionaires have collected more than double the cost of the highways since the start of their toll operations, up to 2017.

“Right now there are 29 highways with tolls still in operation till the end of the concession. The total cost of construction for these 29 highways is RM35.14 billion.

“The total toll collection from the start of operations up to 2017 is RM74.654 billion,” Baru said at the Dewan Rakyat today.

He was answering a question during the ministers’ question-and-answer session, where Akmal Nasrullah Nasir (Harapan-Johor Bahru) had asked about the costs of construction, maintenance and operations for the highways as well as any relevant information about toll concessionaires.

Meanwhile, he said, the annual cost of operations and maintenance for the highways are estimated at RM2.5 billion.

The concessionaires have also been paid compensation as much as RM5.109 billion between 1990 and 2017.

Baru also said that the concessions for two highways are expected to end in 10 years, with 16 of the highways’ concessions scheduled to end within 11 to 20 years and 11 highways’ concessions ending in more than 20 years.

MKINI