While the public were still rejoicing over the removal of a toll booth each at NPE and Besraya highway, today they were hit with a damaging news – the dreaded “toll price increase”.

Malaysiakini provides the details:

The toll rates for five highways – North-South Expressway, Sprint Highway, Ampang Elevated Highway, Sungai Besi Highway, New Pantai Expressway – will go up this Sunday.

Beginning March 1, road users for Plus will be paying an extra 0.86 sen per kilometre – from 13.60 sen per km to 14.46 sen per km – a hike of 6.3 percent.

The following are the new rates for the other highways:

• Sprint Highway

Pantai toll plaza – up 50 sen from RM1.50 to RM2 (increase of 33%)

Damansara toll plaza – up 30 sen from RM1 to RM1.30 (increase of 30%)

• Ampang Elevated Highway

Up 50 sen from RM1.50 to RM2 (an increase of 33%)

• Sungai Besi Highway

Up 10 sen from RM1.30 to RM1.40 (an increase of 7.7%)

• New Pantai Expressway

Up 40 sen from RM1.60 to RM2 (an increase of 25%)

‘Marginal increase’
Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed, who made the announcement today, said that the government had paid RM245 million in compensation to toll operators to waive the toll hike for last year.

The last major increase in tolls was three years ago when five other highways were hit with an increase of up to 60 percent, sparking major street protests.

There are about 17 toll highways in and around the Klang Valley.

In a statement, the minister said the decision to increase the toll rates was made after the cabinet deliberated on the application by highway concessionaires.

He said the increase was done in accordance with the agreement inked between the government and highway concessionaires.

“These documents are now available to the public and can be studied by everyone,” he added.

Describing it as a ‘marginal increase’, Mohd Zin said Class 1 (private car) users who travel using the Plus highway from Jalan Duta to Bukit Raja (a distance of 34km) will only have to pay an additional 30 sen.

For the Besraya highway, he said, payment is only at the Mines toll plaza because collection at the Salak Jaya toll plaza was stopped on Feb 24.

Similarly, he said while there is an increase in toll rates for the NPE, the government also decided to abolish toll collection at the PJS 2 toll plaza.

Toll hike deferred for one year

“As for the Plus, Sprint and Akleh highways, the toll rate was supposed to have been increased on Jan 1, 2008 but this was deferred leading the government to pay compensation of RM245 million (RM177 million to Plus, RM38 million to Sprint and RM30 million to Akleh).

“The toll rate increase for Sprint and Akleh is minimal given the fact that toll has never been increased for the two highways since they started operating in 2001,” he said.

“The increase should not be seen as burdening the people because the quality of the highways will be ensured,” he added.

I guess most impactful will be the North South Highway toll increase. Actually NKVE and Federal Highway (both under plus) will also see an increase.

I think I’ll be affected by NKVE, Plus and Federal Highway toll increase more than the other highways – I seldom use NPE, Ampang elevated, or Sprint.

Anyway, its a bad news for many many people – expect transportation cost to increase, leading to another round of price increase across the board.