PAS Youth has warned of a hike in highway toll charges after 2015, with the pending general election over.

According to the Plus Supplementary Concession agreement struck in November 2011, there will be a toll hike after 2015, with a five percent increase every three years until December 2038.

NONE Despite the fact that the rise would be lower than the 10 percent hike in previous years, PAS Youth consumer and environment committee chairperson Mohd Firdaus Jaafar said in a statement today, the toll increase would still be detrimental to the people.

The government is only playing politics by declaring that there would be no toll hikes within five years from 2011, as it knows that charges will go upafter 2015, Firdaus said.

"Maybe, because of the squeeze today, the government finds it difficult to raise toll charges over worries that the people are getting angrier, compromising their hold on power.

'Willing to enrich corporate bellies'

"The government assumes that a five percent hike is small and not a burden on the people, when it is only BN leaders with their extravagant and luxurious lifestyle who will not be affected," he said.

BN is more willing to enrich and fill the bellies of the few corporate elites who continue to siphon money off the people, Firdaus charged.

He expressed disappointment that the government was not even attempting to lower toll charges, even if it did not support abolishing them.

"(We) are disappointed that the government is not working to lighten the burden of highway users in the country by reducing tolls, let alone abolishing them.

"For us, there is no reason for the government to remain bound to toll agreements because the government is actually capable of abolishing tolls in the country if it wants to," he said.

Promising that Pakatan Rakyat was committed to the people's welfare, Firdaus trumpeted the opposition pact's Buku Jingga policies, citing Pakatan's promise to abolish tolls on all major highways.