The New Pantai Expressway (NPE) was opened for the public at the beginning of April 2004. The initial toll-less period elevated partially the jam woes along the infamous Federal Highway.

However, when the Works Ministry announced the toll charges, it effectively brought the demon of traffic jams back onto the Federal highway and other routes.

RM1.60 for an entry, RM3.20 for a one-way trip and RM6.40 for return. That's more expensive than the Kesas Highway and the Lebuhraya Damansara Puchong put together for both way trips. No wonder NPE is empty, even during peak hours.

What is the rationale for such exorbitant toll-charges? Possibly the same old reason that the government and the highway concessionaire have a contract and that the government has to honour the contact or pay a heavy compensation.

This reason has been used constantly to explain the necessity of high highway toll charges, but who benefits from such highway concessions? The concessionaire or the general public?

RM3.20 for single trip along the entire NPE is too steep for the folks living at Old Klang Road where one of the toll plazas is strategically located. The residents there comprise of citizens from lower income groups and many of them cannot afford such steep toll-charges.

Furthermore, they now have to pay to use NPE which was formally free (Old Klang Road). In addition, road users from Subang have to pay RM6.40 for two-way journey on the NPE. After crunching out the numbers, it will cost these motorists RM192 per month for both-way trips. Is that not pocket-burning for the common folk?

Road users in the Klang Valley are already wasting precious time and money on traffic jams and hefty toll-charges because of shortcomings in town-planning and public transportation.

NPE may relieve traffic jams, but the outrageous toll-charges will offset the benefits of using it.