KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 15 — The Express Rail Link Sdn Bhd’s (ERL) concession agreement has been extended for another 30 years to 2059, said Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Abdul Aziz Kaprawi.
He said the extension was granted after the government had declined Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd’s requests to increase the ERL train fare on three occasions.
“The contract will expire in 2059 and the agreement, signed in 2002, provided for a fare revision every five years,” he said in reply to a supplementary question by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim (Independent — Bandar Tun Razak).
He said the government, which should compensate ERL for refusing to allow it to increase its fares three times, instead extended the concession period.
After 2059, the government would no longer pay the RM5 passenger service charge per person to ERL and any payment to the company would depend on the market, he said. — Bernama
