YOURSAY 'The intent of the provision to revise the toll rates was to cater for the operator in the event the concessions was not profitable.'

Highway tolls up next month, by 50 sen to RM2

Franco: "However, he (Works Minister Fadillah Yusof) said, the concessionaires have not adjusted the prices in the past six years, and therefore, this price hike will be double the rise."

Once again the BN minister is talking through his rear end. If the government had already paid compensation towards the non-increase in toll, why should the increase be double? In fact why should there be an increase in the first place if the operators are raking in profits?

The intent of the provision to revise the toll rates was to cater for the operator in the event the concessions was not profitable. But with 20-60 percent profit , there must be some avenue to re-channel this back to the rakyat by maintaining and upgrading the trunk roads, where and whenever possible.

Don't they ever think that rakyat-friendly policies will keep them longer in power?

Senior: ‘Adjust' does not mean increase. It could mean reduction. Given that there are now more vehicles using the highway and the operators are making obscene profits, ‘adjust' means the government should reduce the toll or at least keep the current rate. Why does the government read ‘adjust' to mean ‘increase' only?

Swipenter: Traffic dispersal should be the main objective of all highways in cities and towns but here, all these highways are designed in such a way that they sweep all traffic into the toll booths hence we see traffic bottlenecks at all these points.

Of course, former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the father of privatisation, guarantees them a certain margin.

But what business guarantees you no losses but only profits? In his Bolehland, such dreams are a reality. Truly ‘Malaysia Boleh'.

Satay Satay: Even law undergraduates would have known how to have made better deals with fairer terms. Who was the prime minister when the toll companies were granted the cakes on their silver platters?

Mm_my: Dear minister, help the rakyat to check who made this deal that even if the highway operator make profits, the government still needs to pay compensation? Are not ministers so powerful that they can revise or just ignore the agreement?

Also, dear minister, are you saying that if all Malaysians use trunk roads, then the government won't use public money to pay for the compensation?

Phileos: Good, less traffic jams at toll roads. Allow only those who can afford it to drive to work. Malaysia is a stupid country where low income earners can drive to work, causing traffic jams.

We should increase toll rates, petrol prices and road tax so that only those who really can afford it can drive to work.

Low income earners should take the MRT, buses or LRT like those in other big cities. We should not allow those who get handouts or BR1M to drive and cause massive jams.

Curdle: I live in Kampung Sungai Penchala. To get to Desa Park City on foot along a local road, the route is 3.4km. There is no final road link for a car however for 150m.

This means the quickest way is via a toll road and the journey to the same point is 9.8km. To avoid the toll, however, the quickest route on alternative roads is 24.8km to the same point.

The road system in Kuala Lumpur is a mess. Try and drive from the Curve to 1Utama and see the disastrous road planning.

Try and access Bukit Kiara from the Penchala Link during rush hours when you are forced to join the jam, despite wanting to go in the opposite direction.

Wira: Damn bloody liars, you BN ‘Janji di tepati' (promises kept) crooks. This is your promise to all Malaysians in your manifesto to us before the last general election? Don't you rascals remember this?

"Dalam tempoh lima tahun ini, kami berjanji untuk mengurangkan bayaran tol antara bandar secara berperingkat-peringkat" (In five years, we promise to reduce tolls stage by stage)?

Clearwater: This is part of PM Najib Abdul Razak's ‘payback tsunami' to ungrateful urban dwellers in Kuala Lumpur. More to come.

Dont Just Talk: This is a slap on the face of the 47 percent of voters who voted for Umno-BN in the 13th GE.

You fellows deserve it but in the process the 52 percent plus who voted against them have to pay the same price too.

SS Dhaliwal: With sweetheart deals given to these concessionaires and having recovered their initial outlay several times over, yet toll prices keeps increasing when it should be decreasing.

This is Umno cronyism where the people are being burdened while a select few plunder the country.

Also, with a police officer lurking in every bush hiding on stretches where unrealistic speed limits are imposed along the old trunk roads waiting to nab a so-called speeding motorist - this is one way to force people to use the highways.

PendatangMalaysia: I cannot trust statements made by any of the ministers and the PM. I recall seeing the big headlines splashed on the frontpages of newspapers - ‘no toll increase for five years'. That was around 2010/2011. If this is not called lying, I don't know what is.

Greenie: I don't mind paying more if it reduces traffic congestion - but I don't see this happening at all.

MockingYou: I wouldn't be surprised if you are asked to car-pool. Problem is that cars parked at home are prone to be driven away, thanks to the high crime rate.

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