Latest news with #Cheras-KajangExpressway
The Star
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Nanta: Toll charges could've risen 83% without govt intervention
KUALA LUMPUR: Private vehicle users could have seen toll charges rise by as much as 83% at 10 highways nationwide this year if not for the government's decision to postpone the hike, says Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi (pic). He said the rates would have ranged between 50sen and RM4.56 for private cars or Class 1 vehicles, amounting to about RM136 monthly or RM1,632 annually. The projections were based on a private car user travelling on 10 tolled highways for 20 days a month, or 240 days annually. 'If there was no postponement, road users would have felt a significant impact. We hope that it can at least ease the cost of living burden, especially for those who use the highways daily,' he said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday. The 10 highways are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grandsaga), 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). Nanta said the toll hike postponement would involve all vehicles – from Class 1 to Class 5 except for the LLB. The toll hike postponement for the LLB only applies to Class 5 vehicles, as Classes 1 to 4 have already reached the maximum toll hike rates allowed under the concession agreement. Class 1 vehicles generally refer to private cars, Class 2 for vans and light goods vehicles, Class 3 for heavy vehicles with three or more axles, Class 4 for taxis, and Class 5 for buses. He added that the government will also have to pay a compensation of RM568.92mil annually to the concessionaires owing to the postponement. Nanta was responding to a question by Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan), who asked about the implications of the government postponing toll rate hikes for this year. On July 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the postponement of toll hikes for 10 highways that were scheduled to take effect this year. On another matter, Nanta said abolishing tolls is not easy, adding that it will require the government to cough up billions for highway maintenance. He said the funds could instead be used for other priorities. 'Instead, the government funds can be used in states like Kelantan, Terengganu or Sabah and Sarawak, which do not have tolled roads,' he told Datuk Che Mohamad Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut), who asked if the government planned to abolish tolls. The minister said there was a possibility that toll rates could be reduced once highway concessionaires achieve their return on investment. 'Then, we can possibly see toll rates be reduced,' he said.
The Star
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Star
Private car users would have faced steep toll hike without postponement, Dewan Rakyat told
KUALA LUMPUR: Private car users would have faced a toll increase of 79% to 83% at 10 highways nationwide if the hike had not been postponed, says Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi. The Works Minister said the rates would range between RM0.50 and RM4.56 for private cars or Class 1 vehicles, amounting to about RM136 monthly or RM1,632 annually. He said the projections were based on a private car user travelling on the tolled roads concerned for 20 days a month or 240 days annually. '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,' he said during Minister's Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (July 29). ALSO READ: Putrajaya postpones toll hikes for 10 highways, says PM Anwar The 10 highways are the Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grandsaga), 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). Nanta said the toll hike postponement will involve all vehicles ranging from Class 1 to Class 5, except on the LLB. He said the toll hike postponement for the LLB only applies to Class 5 vehicles, as Classes 1 to 4 have already reached the maximum toll increase rates allowed under the concession agreement. In Malaysia, Class 1 generally refers to private cars, Class 2 to vans and light goods vehicles, Class 3 to heavy vehicles with three or more axles, Class 4 to taxis, and Class 5 to buses. 'Some 941,000 motorists are set to benefit from the postponed toll rate hike,' he said. He added that the government will also have to pay an estimated compensation of RM568.92mil annually because of the postponement. '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. Datuk Seri Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan) had asked about the implications of the government postponing toll rate hikes for this year. On July 23, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the postponement of toll hikes for 10 highways that were scheduled to take effect this year.
