KUALA LUMPUR: Millions of highway users are now enjoying the 18% reduction in toll rates.

Based on calculations made by the government, through the concession restructuring of PLUS, both the government and the people would see a total savings of up to RM1.1bil for this year alone.

And with this restructuring, the government stands to save some RM42bil in the span of the new concession period of up to 2058.

These include a saving of RM0.5bil from the 18% discount as well as a saving of RM0.6bil from the government compensation payments to freeze the toll rate hike.

Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng said the savings would be channelled to welfare and economic development programmes that would benefit the people.

“With the reduction in toll rates effective from yesterday, the government has taken significant steps towards fulfilling the promise to gradually eliminate tolls by renegotiating the highway concession agreements, as promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto, ” he said.

The Cabinet meeting on Jan 15 decided that an 18% toll discount will be given to passenger cars, buses and taxis (i.e class 1,4 and 5) on these highways – New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), North South Expressway Central Link (Elite), Malaysia-Singapore Second-Link Highway, Phase 2 East Coast Expressway (LPT 2), Seremban Port Dickson Highway and Butterworth-Kulim Expressway.

The discount is also applicable to class 2,3, 4 and 5 vehicles plying the Penang Bridge.

With the reduction, the rate of the highways dropped from 13.6 sen/km to 11.15 sen/km, lower than the toll rate in 1999 which was 11.24 sen/km.

Motorists travelling from Jalan Duta to Alor Setar will only pay RM45.50 compared to RM55.50 previously, while those going to Skudai from Jalan Duta will only pay RM38.50 from RM47.00. — Bernama