最新消息：槟城大桥收费明年暂时不涨！

公共工程部长三美威鲁宣布内阁同意国内4条主要大道收费，包括槟城大桥收费明年不调高！

这是内阁在今日召开的例常会议所做的决定。有鉴于此，内阁必须赔偿2亿4千200万令吉予4家大道公司。这还不是羊毛出在羊身上！

除了槟城大桥之外，另外3条收费不调涨的大道为安邦--淡江高架大道、南北大道，以及白沙罗和克灵芝的西部疏散大道。

但是，大家别高兴得太早！只要大选一过，这些大道收费又会随时宣布调涨。

The Latest News: Penang Bridge Toll Will Not Go Up Temporarily

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 28 -- The Cabinet has agreed not to raise the toll charges at four main highways, including the North-South Expressway and the Penang Bridge, next year, Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced today.

He said the decision was reached at the Cabinet weekly meeting today, which would result in the government paying RM242 million in compensation to four concessionaires.

They are Prolintas for the Ampang-Hulu Klang Elevated Highway, Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan (PLUS) Bhd for the North-South Expressway, Skim Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat (Sprint) for the Kerinchi and Damansara Links, and Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd.

However, the toll charges for six other highways/expressways would be raised in accordance with the concession agreements, Samy Vellu said.

The highways/expressways are the Seremban-Port Dickson, North-South Expressway Central Link, Kulim-Butterworth, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, North Klang Valley, Johor Causeway and Bukit Kayu Hitam.

Samy Vellu said Prolintas would receive RM26 million in compensation, PLUS RM145 million, Sprint RM32 million and Penang Bridge RM39 million, as a result of the government's decision not to raise the toll charges as contained in the concession agreements with the four concessionaires.

"These figures are estimates only and are subject to the actual volume of traffic."

He said the government also had to pay RM75 million in compensation to the Damansara-Puchong Highway concessionaire for reducing the toll charge of RM2.10 to RM1.60, as well as RM27 million to the North Klang Valley Expressway concessionaire for not raising its toll charges since 2005.

"Therefore, the total compensation to be paid by the government for not raising toll charges in 2008 is estimated at RM344 million."

He also revealed that the hike in toll charges for the six other highways/ expressways would be between seven and 50 percent.

He said the six highways/expressways had not been recording high traffic volumes.

"The Seremban-Port Dickson and Elite highways have the least traffic, only about 16,000 vehicles use the Second Link daily, while the Johor Causeway is used mainly by vehicles coming from Singapore."

He said the decision to maintain the toll charges at four more highways was because these were the main routes used daily by people from all walks of life.

"We (the government) do not want to burden road users. That's why we agreed to pay compensation to the highway concessionaires," he added.

Asked whether the coming general election had influenced the decision, he said if that was the basis, "everything will be given free".

He said it was, however, decided that the current toll charges at the four highways would only be maintained up to the end of 2008.

He added that the ministry had been instructed to conduct a study from now to find out whether any toll increase for the highways after that would affect road users.

Meanwhile, the toll increase as announced today is expected to have minimal impact on the public, especially car drivers who will bear an increase of between 10 and 50 percent or between 10 sen and RM1.36.

For instance, car drivers only pay an additional 10 sen at the Lukut toll plaza in Negeri Sembilan and additional 30 sen at the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, Kulim-Butterworth Highway, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link or at the Bukit Kayu Hitam toll plaza.

The biggest increase is for Class 3 vehicles with three axles or more (lorries/trailers) at the Second Link, from RM38.20 currently to RM48.90, a difference of RM10.70.