Private vehicle users would have faced toll fare increases of between 79% to 83% on 10 highways nationwide if there was no postponement of toll fare hikes, works minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi has said, reported The Star.
The rates would range from RM0.50 to RM4.56 for private vehicles, or Class 1 vehicles, which would amount to RM136 a month or RM1,632 annually in toll fare, he said. These projections were based on a private car user travelling on tolled roads for 20 days a month, or 240 days a year, he added.
“If there had been no postponement, road users would have felt a significant impact. We hope that the postponement can at least ease the cost of living burden, especially for those who use tolled roads daily,” Nanta said during the minister’s question time in the Dewan Rakyat today, according to the report.
The 10 highways where toll fare hikes have been postponed are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grand Saga), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (Latar), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge (JSAHMS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Maju Expressway (MEX) and the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB).
Postponement of the toll fare hike is for all vehicle classes ranging from Class 1 to Class 5, except on the Butterworth Outer Ring Road (LLB) where the fare hike postponement applies only to Class 5 vehicles as vehicle Classes 1 to 4 have already reached the maximum toll fare increases allowed under the concession agreement, Nanta said.
An estimated 941,000 motorists are set to benefit from the toll fare hike postponement, and the government will have to pay compensation estimated at RM568.92 million annually for the fare hike postponement, the works minister added.
“However, the actual compensation to be paid by the government depends on the actual traffic volume, with verification by operational audits by both the government and concessionaires,” he said.
The fare hike postponement was announced by prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim during a special “rakyat appreciation” address last week, when the forthcoming price drop for subsidised RON 95 petrol was also announced.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.