Wednesday May 7, 2008 MYT 8:30:49 PM
Govt to review highway concessions
By TEH ENG HOCK
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians may get to enjoy lower toll rates as the Works Ministry will review highway concessions.
Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed said he would call for a detailed study to be carried out before reviewing the concession agreements.
Some of the important factors to be considered were the traffic volume forecast, toll rates and the period of the concession, he said.
“We will compare the toll collections and maintenance and operation costs as well as ‘heavy’ maintenance costs,” he told reporters Wednesday at the Parliament lobby.
He explained that heavy maintenance referred to scheduled maintenance to resurface the entire highway, while normal maintenance involved patching up potholes.
Mohd Zin said there was a toll review mechanism clause in the concession agreements which prevented concessionaires from raising toll rates as they pleased.
“If the traffic volume hits a certain level, then the toll hike can be averted,” he said.
He said the study would be completed within three months.
Asked if the findings of the feasibility study could lead to lower toll rates, he said: “It is one of the possibilities”.
On whether the Government had paid compensation to any concessionaire as the toll rates had not been raised this year, Mohd Zin said no payment had been made as they were reviewing the concessions.
Mohd Zin said there are 22 highway concessionaires in the country, but seven were not making profits including the operators of New Pantai Expressway, Shah Alam Expressway and the SecondLink.
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