KINIBIZ “You have got to be kidding me!” and “Are they mad?” - those were among the more printable reactions of many car-owning city dwellers when they found out that their daily commutes are going to be more expensive come Thursday, Oct 15.

Some 17 operators have announced they will increase toll rates anywhere from 20 sen to RM1.50, in some places that is as much as a 100 percent increase. Government-owned Plus is the only concessionaire to not jump on the bandwagon.

For Malaysians, the government’s decision to allow the concessionaires to hike prices smacks of a lack of empathy for the many who already have to stretch their ringgit to the maximum just to make ends meet. The fact that the announcement was made a mere three days before it is implemented did nothing to calm the anger.

Perhaps if there are alternative travel options, the increases might have been justified. But given the lack of a comprehensive public transport network, come Thursday, the many motorists using these roads will have no choice but to fork their money over.

The Works Ministry’s rationale for the hike is that there has not been one since 2008 and in lieu the government has had to compensate the concessionaires to the tune of RM1.5 billion.

Last year alone it had paid the highway operators RM403 million in compensation, the ministry said. A toll hike means the government can stop compensation and the savings can be put to better use, such as for resurfacing the roads and building schools and hospitals.

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This article was written by Stephanie Jacob.