PM announces toll restructuring to ease people's burden

ublished: Friday January 28, 2011 MYT 12:47:00 PM
Updated: Friday January 28, 2011 MYT 4:56:19 PM
PM announces toll restructuring to ease people's burden

PUTRAJAYA: Several toll operations have been restructured following a review of the transportation costs aimed at easing the people's burden.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said under the restructuring exercise, there would be no hike in the toll rates for the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway and the Phase 1 of the East Coast Expressway in the next five years.

The exercise also involved the termination of toll for the East-Coast Link Expressway connecting the Salak interchange and Taman Connaught interchange in Kuala Lumpur, expected to take effect in May this year, he said.

Najib stressing a point at the press conference with Shaziman looking on

"In line with the 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now concept, I've asked toll concessionaires to carry out a review of their respective toll structures to help the government prosper the country and lessen the burden of the people.

"Taking up the Government's call, two corporate figures who are also major shareholders of a toll concessionaire, came forward with a toll restructuring proposal involving the acquisition of concession's assets, a move that will give a major impact to the people," he told a news conference in his office.

Present was Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor.

Najib said the exercise showed the Government's determination to find a prudent solution to the toll issue.

"I'm also calling on other toll concessionaires to take the cue from these initiatives for the benefit of the people," he said.

He also said that the exercise was not an abrupt move, saying that he had previously asked concessionaires to submit proposals to the government.

"They submitted numerous proposals. We accept what we can accept and implement it straight away. As for the rest, we are still looking into them.

"Whatever is ready, we go ahead (and implement it) first. We don't have to wait for all the rest," he said.

Asked whether the initiatives would also be extended to other expressways such as the North-South Expressway, which is under PLUS Expressway Berhad and a major highway in the peninsular, Najib said the matter was also under consideration.

"Let's do it one by one. There is still more; I've got more announcements coming up," he said.

In the 2011 Budget tabled in October last year, Najib announced a five-year freezing of toll rates on four highways owned by PLUS Expressways. - BERNAMA