Najib: New toll rates announcement soon

The government is at the final stage of restructuring the highway toll rates which will reflect consumer interests and satisfaction as well as a high level of highway quality, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

“We are now in the final stage, and I will make an announcement (on the new toll rates),” he said when opening Persada Plus, the main headquarters of Plus Expressway Berhad, the country’s largest toll highway operator.

Najib said the new toll rates would be “reasonable”.

He suggested that Plus continue to make available quality and comfortable highway facilities for consumers, including upgrading the existing lanes.

“Additional lanes should be added to congested stretches immediately. As the cost, this can be negotiated with the government because we practise the principle of cost-sharing. The people will not mind if there is a slight increase in toll rates, provided traffic flow is smooth without any congestion,” he said.

The prime minister said highway development was an important catalyst for the growth of a locality and new industrial sites which could help the national economy.

“I believe our highway system can spur a high level of economic growth because the movement of people, goods and services depends on a sophisticated and quality highway network,” he said.

At the event, Najib’s wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, who is the patron of the Permata Pintar Negara programme, opened the Plus Child Development Centre (Plus CDC) which enables staff of the company to send their children for education at an early age.

The centre began operations in May last year and can accommodate 60 children at any one time.

Persada Plus, which occupies a 9.5-hectare site, houses a nine-storey corporate tower which has a Plus traffic control centre. It began operations at the end of 2008


comments

Toll hike at this juncture will only bring more misery to all Rakyat irregardless of class. The toll concessionaires must realise that the population of cars are ever increasing each year. The additional car population increase has never been taken into consideration and The Government is force to subsidise each time when the toll rates is time for a review. A review upwards is always there but never not the other way round. How pathetic Malaysia is.