Toll rates: 20%-60% hike!
Malaysiakini.com
Dec 14, 2006

The government today announced a whopping increase in toll rates of between 20 to 60 percent along five major highways in the Klang Valley.

Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) saw its toll rate rise from RM1 to RM1.60, an increase of 60 percent.

As for the Kesas Highway, the rate increased from RM1.50 to RM2.20, a 46.7-percent hike.

The Cheras-Kajang Highway's Batu 9 toll increased from 70 sen to RM1, while the Cheras-Kajang Batu 11 toll went up to 90 sen from 60 sen - a hike of between 42.9 and 50 percent.

The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway's Gombak toll is now at RM5, an increase of RM1, while the highway's Bentong toll will increased by 50 sen to RM3. The hikes along this highway are the lowest, between 20 and 25 percent.

Meanwhile, the Guthrie Corridor Expressway toll rate went up from RM1 to RM1.40 - a 40-percent increase.

The new toll rates were announced by Works Minister S Samy Vellu this afternoon and will be effective on Jan 1 next year.

More hikes to come

The minister also announced eight highways that will be up for toll price review in 2008.

They are the North South Highway (Plus), Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, North South Expressway Central Link (Elite), Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, New North Klang Straits Bypass (Shahpadu), Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, Butterworth-Kulim Expressway, and the Penang Bridge.

Under concession agreements signed between the government and private highway operators, the companies are allowed to regularly raise toll rates.

The government has been subsidising the tolls to fend off public outcries over the agreed hikes but has said it can no longer afford to do this.

Samy Vellu last month said the increase was aimed at removing some of the RM2 billion ringgit in subsidies borne by the government.

Consumer and industry leaders have slammed the anticipated rise, which they say is unjustified after the nation's steepest ever fuel price hikes in February - which prompted street protests in Kuala Lumpur - and electricity rate increases in June.

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