NS highway toll charges to rise up to 60%

[Apollo]

http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.js...47d800-6fa92b6c

 

Road tolls to rise by up to 60% - source

By Jalil Hamid

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The government will announce on Dec 14 a sharp rise in road toll rates to help trim state subsidies, a source said on Dec 13, in a move that could spark a public outcry and raise inflation.

 

Tolls will go up by as much as 60% and will affect users of five highways in and around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, said the source, who attended an official briefing on the matter.

 

"The new rates take effect on Jan 1," the source, who declined to be identified, told Reuters . "That's our New Year present."

A spokesman for the Works Minister confirmed that an announcement would be made at a news conference at 3.15pm on Dec 14. He declined to give details.

 

Under toll concession agreements that critics say favour operators, the government has to reimburse operators if traffic volumes and revenues fall short of pre-agreed projections.

 

Most of the highways were approved in the 1990s by the administration of then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, which made privatisation and mega-projects one of its hallmarks.

 

Works Minister Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu said recently the government would have to fork out RM2 billion in compensation to five highway operators if toll rates were not revised.

 

The operators include listed firms Gamuda Bhd and Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak).

 

Litrak operates the 40km Damansara-Puchong highway, where the toll is to rise 60%, to RM1.60 from RM1, the source said.

"The real toll is RM2.10, so the government is still subsidising 50 sen for each user," the source said.

 

Residents along the densely populated stretch had protested strongly against an initial proposal to levy a toll of RM1.50, forcing the government to fix it at RM1.

 

Some 418,000 vehicles used the highway daily on average, reflecting a 14.5% compounded annual growth rate for the past seven years, rating firm RAM said in a review of Litrak.

 

Government officials told the briefing that one reason for the shortfall in toll collection was due to motorists switching to alternative non-toll roads, the source said.

 

The toll hikes, however, will not apply to Malaysia's biggest toll-road firm, Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS), a PLUS spokeswoman said.

 

PLUS' rate increase is fixed at 10% every three years and the next increase is not due until January 2008. Malaysia's annual inflation was 3.1% in October year-on-year, down from a 7-year-high of 4.8% in March. -- Reuters

[Renegade]

Wonder how this price hike affects the unofficial roadside tolls....

 

[Jman888]

you can use as an excuse to get discount on the unofficial ones

[Jman888]

this is worst than the increas in ERP and GST for those frequent traveller

[Ahyoo2002]

Hi,

 

Tolls will go up by as much as 60% and will affect users of five highways in and around the capital, Kuala Lumpur, said the source, who attended an official briefing on the matter.

 

马来西亚政府明日将宣布调高国内五条大道，即白沙罗蒲种大道、莎阿南大道、蕉赖加影大道、牙直利走廊大道及加叻大道的过路费，涨幅可能高达60％。

 

So I guess the normal NS Highway that we used are not affected.

[Blackyv]

your post title already wrong ond mis-leading in the first place... dont scare us lar...

 

the toll hike only apply to those tollls within KL and NOT apply to NSH leh...

 

The operators include listed firms Gamuda Bhd and Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak).

 

Litrak operates the 40km Damansara-Puchong highway, where the toll is to rise 60%, to RM1.60 from RM1, the source said.

"The real toll is RM2.10, so the government is still subsidising 50 sen for each user," the source said.

 

The toll hikes, however, will not apply to Malaysia's biggest toll-road firm, Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS), a PLUS spokeswoman said.

 

[Ahyoo2002]

yah, I have the chinese version:

 

不过，南北大道公司受询时说，这次调升过路费不会影响南北大道使用者，因为根据合约，南北大道每三年固定调整一次收费，即10％，而下一次调整收费要等到2008年1月。

 

[Genie47]

The LDP sees very heavy usage. Traffic is horrendous on both the days I traveled on it.