‘GOVT TO CONDUCT DUE DILIGENCE’
Need to study toll agreements and financial costs, says minister
THE government is proposing to take over highway concessions in the country in stages and through the correct process. Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali said the highway takeover process needed comprehensive discussions such as reviewing the agreements as well as the financial implications involved after the takeover.
“The government will take over the concessions one by one.
“As you know the government will incur huge financial burden when implementing the takeover.
“When the government announced its intention to take over four toll concessions, there was talk of the inability to pay and yet there is a call now to acquire one more,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
He was commenting on the statement of Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan who asked why the government was not taking over the concession companies such as PLUS Malaysia Bhd.
Last Saturday, the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement that the government had begun negotiations with Gamuda Bhd to take over the concessions of four highways in which the company is holding majority equity.
The government intends to scrap the existing toll mechanism when it takes over the highways.
Based on the statement, a congestion charge amounting to the existing rate will be introduced for six hours at peak time daily.
During off peak hours from 11pm to 5am, usage of the highway is free. For regular hours, motorists will enjoy a 30 per cent discount of the existing rate.
The highways involved are Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP), Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal System (Sprint), Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas) and the SMART Tunnel.
In Batu Gajah, Pas vice-president Idris Ahmad said the government should not confine the toll review to off-peak periods as it would not reduce commuters’ financial burden.
“Toll is one of the factors that contribute to the high cost of living for commuters. So, when they abolish it only for travel from between 11pm and 5am, it will clearly not achieve the goal.
“Why do they pick such offpeak hours? They should choose the time when people are leaving for work and make it free, that should be the objective.”