No More Automatic Toll Rate Increases Following Revised Agreement, Says Works Minister

Over the last few months there’s been more commotion over the price of merely getting around, largely due to the increased toll rates that struck Klang Valley motorists by highway concessionaires in late October. 

Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof has said that the government has revised and enhanced the Agreements terms with concessionaires that, by the looks of it, will better protect the interests of the everyday road user, writes Bernama.

One such term was the abolishment an automatic toll rate increase that was present on the previous agreement.

"When there is an application from the concessionaire to increase the toll rate, we will check and study the company's statements, whether they had achieved the estimated traffic flow along the highway in the area.

"If the traffic flow reached the estimate, then we will not allow the increase," he said.

However, this does not mean that should the estimate traffic flow not be reached that a toll rate increase be disallowed. Other factors such as the concessionaire’s financial commitments will have sway over the rate revision. 

But this move puts more transparency into the process, allowing the people to voice their opinion and/or displeasure, but also allowing more time for the concessionaires to explain their reasoning should an toll rate increase be required. 

This is in contrast to October’s increases, which was implemented first before concessionaires cared to elaborate on why - mainly due to complaints from the public.