PETALING JAYA: An expert in transport planning has criticised the government’s takeover of four Klang Valley highways as an expensive and unnecessary move.
Commenting on yesterday’s announcement that the government would go ahead with the acquisition of Kesas, LDP, Sprint and Smart Tunnel from Gamuda Bhd, Rosli Azad Khan said the cost of RM6.2 billion was exorbitant, especially considering that the concession for Kesas would expire in 2028.
He added that it was equally unnecessary to take over LDP as the concessionaire had agreed to freeze toll rates until the expiry of the concession.
Rosli, a consultant with 40 years’ experience, also said the acquisition went against the spirit of the privatisation policy introduced by Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his first tenure as prime minister.
He said the policy saved government spending on infrastructure projects.Why does the government now want to reverse the policy and incur unnecessary costs?”
However, another transport consultant, Goh Bok Yen, said there was nothing wrong in reversing the privatisation policy if it was for the public’s benefit.
The nationalisation of the four highways, he added, would indeed benefit the public.
However, he also said the government could alternatively spend the money to build new roads or improve existing roads to compete with the toll highways.
On the proposed takeover of PLUS highways, which include the North-South Expressway, Goh said it was not urgent because the social and economic impact would be insignificant.
“Interstate highways are not used by daily commuters,” he said. “I feel we can bear with them.”
It might be better to renegotiate the concession, he added.
Yesterday, in presenting the proposals for next year’s national budget yesterday, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the government would be considering taking over PLUS Malaysia Bhd, which could see an 18% reduction on toll rates. - FMT
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