Toll rates lower with extended concession period - LLM

The toll rates on the Federal Highway Route 2 and the North-South Expressway (Plus) are lower because of extensions of the concession period.

The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) in a statement Sunday said this was a government effort to reduce toll charges and the cost of living burden of road users.

LLM said through the restructuring of toll rates, road users for Class 1 vehicles (cars) now only have to pay RM1.10 (at the Batu Tiga toll plaza) compared to the original Concession Agreement toll rate which is fixed at RM2.40.

"Besides this, the percentage of increase (in the toll rate) is also lowered" LLM said.

For example, the toll rate increase for Plus previously was set at 10 per cent every three years but with the concession period extensions, is now fixed at five per cent for every three years, it said.

The LLM statement was in response to a report by a news portal, Malaysia Digest, entitled 'Despite Concession to End This Year, Federal Government Renews Batu Tiga Toll for 20 More Years' on April 16, that said the government had renewed the concession contract which is expected to expire end of this year.

It was renewed until 2035 without a valid reason and it had caused dissatisfaction by road users, Malaysia Digest said.

In the Malaysia Digest's report, it also quoted Batu Tiga assemblywoman Rodziah Ismail as saying that the federal government needs to provide answers on why the contract was renewed and questioned where the money was being channeled to.