Suggests toll discounts.
Pakatan Harapan has said the government’s takeover of four Klang Valley highways is a continuation of policies it introduced when it was in power in 2019.
In a statement, the PH’s presidential council said Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement yesterday was a PH policy that the current administration has continued to the end.
“This proves that if PH had continued to govern for more than 22 months and the Sheraton Move did not happen, policies that would have been able to help the people would have been implemented,” it said in the statement.
Yesterday, Ismail announced that the government had agreed not to increase tolls for Klang Valley highways LDP, SMART, SPRINT and Kesas under a proposal to restructure the toll concessions for these trunk roads.
He said, as a result, the existing toll rates will remain until the end of their respective concession periods.
In a statement, Ismail said that the restructuring plan would be able to save compensation payments from January 2022 until the expiration of the concession period.
“The net savings for toll subsidy payments for the four highways is estimated to be at least RM4.3 billion,” he said.
Today, PH said it had mooted discounts of up to 30% for eight hours a day on the highways in question, while making them toll-free for the remaining off-peak 16 hours.
PH added that it had reduced told rates on the North-South Highway by 18%.
The coalition further suggested the government continue to explore discounts on these four highways.
Meanwhile, the council urged the government to explain to Parliament the ownership of Amanat Lebuhraya Rakyat Bhd (ALR), especially in terms of its financial responsibilities and transparency of its expenditure.
The non-profit ALR was incorporated as part of the government’s plan to restructure the concessions with no increase in toll charges or having to pay compensation. – TMI