DAP has urged the government to abolish the Cheras-Kajang Highway toll charges which are scheduled to increase by as much as 58 percent in 2013.

The party's deputy publicity chief Teo Nie Ching in a statement today said the increase in toll rates was on top of the hefty profits made by concessionaire Grand Saga Sdn Bhd.

shaziman abu mansor Teo, who is also the Serdang MP, said that as of 2010 the concessionaire had already raked in RM261.35 million in profits and government compensation.

"This is only up to 2010. The people's nightmare will last for another 20 years before the concession period runs its course," she said.

Teo points out that the company is set to make more profits in the future based after Works Minister Shaziman Mansor ( right ) told the Dewan Rakyat that toll charges would be revised in 2013.

She said that the revised toll charges for a return trip could cost between RM5 to RM6, up from the RM3.80 charged currently.

The two toll booths at the ninth and eleventh kilometre mark of the highway charges RM1 and RM0.90 respectively.

Lopsided terms

Arguing that the terms of the concession were lopsided, Teo said it was pointless to merely protest against the raising of toll charges.

She cited how the public managed to pressure the government into convincing Grand Saga into removing a blockade for a slip road which would bypass the eleventh kilometre toll booth, only to have the government extend the company's concession period by three years.

NONE "If there is widespread public protest, we can (expect) that the federal government will yet again extend the concession period as a compensatory move.

"If the people do not protest, they lose. If they protest, they still lose. It is a lose-lose situation for the rakyat while the government's cronies reap huge profits from this lopsided deal," she said.

In view of this, Teo ( left ) urged the public to support a petition calling for the abolishment of the toll charges.

The aim is to collect 100,000 signatures before the petition is submitted to the prime minister.

The Cheras-Kajang Highway began operations in 1999. It was constructed at a cost of RM282 million.