Government may reduce toll rates

TheStar Online (July 11, 2009)

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government is mulling over a proposal to cut toll rates to ease growing public complaints about rising charges.

A source said the proposal also entailed discounts for heavy users of toll roads in cities and major towns.

This could be modelled along the loyalty programme currently being offered by Litrak, the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) operator, which had a 20% rebate for road users paying RM200 or more a month.

The proposal suggested that discounts be offered to users who paid toll five or more times a day, regardless of the daily amount.

However, the source said it was uncertain if concessionaires would be asked to absorb the cost for the discounts or whether they would be compensated.

“The Government undertook a study following complaints of increasing toll charges and the initial finding is that it would be too costly to mount a Government takeover of the companies,” the source said in an interview yesterday.

Malaysia has 22 highway concessionaires, three of which are listed.

There have been public dissatisfaction over the scheduled increase in toll charges, stipulated in the concessionaries’ agreements.

The Government has since declassified the toll agreements for public viewing and had said it would revisit the agreements. — Reuters