Govt Announces Toll Rates Hike At Five Highways From Jan 1

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- Toll rates at five highways in and around the Klang Valley will be raised between 30 sen and RM1, starting Jan 1 next year, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced Thursday.

The five highways involved are Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP), Lebuhraya Shah Alam, Lebuhraya Cheras-Kajang, Lebuhraya KL-Karak and Lebuhraya Koridor Guthrie.

The new toll rates for LDP will be RM1.60, an increase of 60 sen, Lebuhraya Shah Alam -- RM2.20 (up 70 sen), Lebuhraya Cheras-Kajang -- RM1 (Batu 9) and 90 sen (Batu 11) (both 30 sen more), Lebuhraya KL-Karak -- RM5 (Gombak) (RM1 higher) and RM3 (Bentong) (50 sen more) and Lebuhraya Koridor Guthrie -- RM1.40 (up 40 sen). These rates are for cars classified as Class 1.

The minister said if the government had allowed the five concessionaires to raise toll rates according to the concession agreement, then the burden on the consumers would have been much higher.

The LDP toll would have reached RM2.10, Lebuhraya Shah Alam (RM2.40), Lebuhraya Cheras-Kajang (RM1.20 -- Batu 9) (RM1.10 -- Batu 11) and Lebuhraya KL-Karak (RM8.80 -- Gombak) (RM3.70 -- Bentong).

Starting Jan 1, the toll rates at the LDP, which was built at a cost of RM1.5 billion, will be RM3.60 for Class 2 vehicles, RM5.40 (Class 3), 90 sen (Class 4) and RM1.80 (Class 5).

Users of Lebuhraya Shah Alam, constructed at a cost of RM1.3 billion, would have to pay RM3.30 (Class 2), RM4.40 (Class 3), RM1.10 (Class 4) and RM1.70 (Class 5).

At the RM303 million Lebuhraya Cheras Kajang (Batu 9), consumers will have to fork out RM2 (Class 2 and 3), 50 sen (Class 4) and RM1 (Class 5). For the Batu 11 toll, users will be charged RM1.80 (Class 2 and 3), 50 sen (Class 4) and 90 sen (class 5).

At the Lebuhraya Koridor Guthrie, developed at a cost of RM862 million, users will pay RM2.80 (Class 2), RM4.20 (Class 3), 70 sen (Class 4) and RM1.40 (Class 5).

At the Gombak toll of the RM500 million Lebuhraya KL-Karak, motorists will pay RM10 (Class 2), RM15 (Class 3), RM2.50 (Class 4) and RM5 (Class 5). At the Bentong toll of the same highway, they will have to pay RM6 (Class 2), RM9 (Class 3), RM1.50 (Class 4) and RM3 (Class 5).

Class 1 is for cars, Class 2 for lorries below one tonne, Class 3 for big lorries and trailers, Class 4 for taxis, and Class 5 for buses.

-- BERNAMA