KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 18 — The government is expected to pay RM558.69 million in compensation to highway concessionaires following its plan not to raise toll rates at 20 highways next year.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said 17 highways would receive their compensation next year and the rest in 2016.
“An allocation of RM458 million has been approved to the ministry to pay the compensation. An additional allocation will be sought in mid-2015,” she said when winding up debate at the committee level of the ministry on the Supply Bill 2015 in the Dewan Rakyat today.
She said the compensation was based on a formula which had been stipulated in the concession agreement and the actual amount would only be decided after the process of traffic verification by the Malaysian Highway Authority.
The highways involved in the postponement of toll hikes are the Ampang Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh), Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal Scheme (SPRINT), New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (SILK), Storm Water Management and Road Tunnel (SMART), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE), Sungai Besi Expressway (SBE), Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE), Butterworth Outer Ring Road (BORR) and Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE).
Also the Kajang-Seremban Highway(LEKAS), Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Maju Expressway (MEX), Damansara Puchong Expressway (LDP), New North Klang Straits Bypass (NNKSB), East Coast Expressway (ECE1), Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK), Cheras-Kajang Highway (Grand Saga), KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR), and Shah Alam Highway (LKSA).
In the meantime, Rosnah also said the construction of the third phase of the East Coast Expressway (ECE3) in Kelantan involving the Kuala Terengganu-Besut-Setiu-Kelantan alignment would be implemented in the 11th Malaysia Plan.
She said the East Coast Expressway involved three phases and only ECE3 had yet to begin construction.
She said based on Phase 1 of the Peninsular Highway Network Development Master Plan, the ECE3 project had the potential of being implemented under the privatisation system.
Meanwhile, she said, the ministry would not compromise with any concessionaire which was negligent in carrying out resurfacing projects especially pertaining to quality. — Bernama
