Toll rates for five highways to go up on Jan 1
KUALA LUMPUR: Toll rates for five highways will go up on Jan 1 next year as the Government can no longer afford to subsidise toll increases, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Monday.
– news from The Star newspaper
I spent a lot of time on the highway on the last two weekends and there were loads of construction on the highway, mainly to expand additional lane making the highway into a 3 lane highway. I was thinking to myself that the toll rates might increase since there were upgrades, this was only yesterday. And today, the star reports increase of toll charges.
When I was at the M’cca-KL north south highway, there were some parts closed to just one lane. This caused a bumper to bumper jam on the highway, it took me 2 hours while usually the journey would take 1.5 hour. Could we take any legal action against the highway operator for causing jam? for not delivering to the promise of safe and fast travel? Why would I want to pay to go on to the highway, and travel at 20kmph? I could have done that on the trunk road.
The toll increase covers 5 highways, and in my opinion, this is something the government do upon themselves. Firstly, the contract between the government and the toll operators are shabby, the contracts seam to be favoring to the toll operators, rather than the rakyat, especially on the clause where the toll operators are allowed to increase the toll at every certain number of years, this means the government are bound by contract to allow the toll operators to increase toll, and when the rakyat complains, the government take it upon themselves to subsidies the toll. Now the government cannot afford the RM2bil of subsidy, they are forced to allow the toll increase. For me, if the government were to make any contract with any companies to provide service to the rakyat, it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the contract favors the rakyat, and still allow the companies to make a decent money. I don’t see this happening….
A good read below..
Privatization of Highways in Malaysia: The Peril of not Consulting End-Users – A.-R. Abdul-Aziz
Toll rates up, petrol prices up, my blood pressure also up
I guess you guys have already heard the news.
Toll rates for five highways will be increased next year.
The five highways are Guthrie Corridor, Kuala Lumpur-Karak, Cheras-Kajang, Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong and Lebuhraya Shah Alam. (story link)
Paul T…
By MONSTERBLOG.COM.MY on 11.28.06 3:42 pm | Permalink
Vote for opposition in the next GE. This kind of buiness, even idiots can run it.
By Cedric on 12.16.06 1:23 am | Permalink
Actually you can and should sue PLUS. PLUS has in its advertisements on TV and other media potrayed itself as providing minimum dual lane travel, safe travel, comfortable travel, uninterrupted travel, fast travel and most importantly travel which is much better that the trunk road(or the federal route to be more precise).
Hence if PLUS has failed to fulfil both its express and implied terms, you have a right to seek recourse.
Further, if PLUS is doing upgrading works and knows that the same will cause inconveneince, it should make adequate annoucements and inform travellers before they enter the toll booth – so the users have a choice. Those who do not mind being robbed can continue to use the highway though they may have to crawl.
Please excercise your rights. Sue PLUS. They are a private entity – they can be sued. They owe a duty of care. In fact your suit should name the individual directors also.
Sue – teach them a lesson.
By devilsadvocate on 12.18.06 12:43 am | Permalink