The government seems to have heeded at least one lesson from the March 8 general election results - ignore Malaysians' grouses pertaining to the quality of the country's 22 highways and their increasing toll rates, and it will cost you votes.


 Confirming this, Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed told Parliament today this was among the reasons the government was giving a serious re-look at the state of the highways and the traffic distribution system.


 The review exercise may not only prevent the increase of toll rates but even reduce current toll rates on some highways, said Zin in answering a question from Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara).


 "Regarding the improvement of quality, I also want to see to it that the system of traffic distribution system can be of benefit to the people so that when we pay toll, we do not get stuck in the situation of five to six hour traffic jams.


 "This will anger the people, and when the people are angry, they will support the opposition, and we do not want them to support the opposition," said Zin.


 Citing the election campaign of Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) for the Kinrara state seat, Zin said Kok had put up in posters highlighting "tol sana, tol sini" (tolls here, tolls there).


 Kok eventually won the Kinrara state seat and is now a Selangor exco member.


 
 


 
 Renegotiation process
 


 Earlier, Zin said the ministry was taking steps towards renegotiating all highway concession agreements because "the government fully understands and concerned about the burden of tolls on the people".


 While a 'toll review mechanism' clause exists in all highway concession agreements that disallows "arbitrary" toll rate hikes and make any toll rate increases contingent upon traffic volume, the ministry was looking closely at reviewing several highway concessions in particular.


 Among these is the Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan Lebuh (Plus) highway concession, whose toll rate hike scheduled for last January has been delayed for a year, he added.


 Sections of the Plus highway will be re-designated into &lsquo;urban' - between Rawang and Nilai, for example - and &lsquo;inter-urban' sections such as within the areas of Ipoh, Seremban and Johor Baru, Zin added.


 "Among the (other) matters to be looked at again is the (highways') traffic volume, the agreement clauses, the toll rates, and the concession period. The ministry is also giving a re-look at the (concessionaires') financing of loans, maintenance and operation (costs).


 "The total of these (costs) will then be compared with the toll collection revenue, and this can prevent a toll hike increase. It can even lead to a reduction of toll rates," said Zin.


 After obtaining all the relevant information, the ministry will then renegotiate with the concessionaires to reach an agreement that would enable the government to fulfill both its obligations to the concessionaires while avoiding placing more burdens on the people, he added.


 
 


 
 Three months to study
 


 Zin also informed Parliament that the total cumulative revenue of the 22 tolled highways from toll collection since these were privatised until December 2007 was RM27.6 billion, while total cumulative profits amounted to RM3.5 billion.


 To a supplementary question by Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) - who asked what happened to the RM38.5 billion compensation that former works minister S Samy Vellu announced in September 2005 to be given to 20 highway concessionaires for not raising their toll rates - Zin said this was not included in the revenue and profit figures cited.


 Zin also said that while such a compensation was an alternative to raising toll hikes, the other possibility was for the government to "buy back" the infrastructure after considering their future value and new financing models.


 "It is one option. I'm not suggesting we will. It is one option that we can take," said Zin.


 "My side is prepared to see things in totality," he added.


 At a press conference later held in the lobby of Parliament, Zin said the review exercise referred to in the Dewan Rakyat will be completed in three months' time.


 He also said even the pending concession agreements of highways that are not yet operating will also be looked at to ensure the toll rates and the quality of service at these highways are agreeable.

<img align="left" alt="parliament" height="13" src="http://mk-cdn.mkini.net/24/55ddd0dde8d5e55e8826ac251d69d4e1.gif" title="parliament" width="72"/>
A review on toll agreements to be undertaken by the Works Ministry will look at not just stopping possible toll increments in the future but also at potential reduction of present rates.

Gov't to review 'unfair' deals, toll charges could be slashed

~RM12

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