Following the announcement that toll rates for 18 highways will be increased on October 15, 2015, it was revealed that there has been a drop in traffic on these highways of between five to 10%, as motorists look to alternative roads to avoid paying toll.
Speaking to Nanyang Siang Pau on Wednesday, Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia (PSKLM) president Datuk Zainudin A. Kadir said that this reaction from motorists is to be expected as they are unhappy with the toll hikes, and would therefore aim to avoid tolled roads.
“This is probably the beginning. Given the ease in the use of navigation apps installed on smartphones, such as Waze, the figures may go up,” he said.
However, the Prolintas Group chief executive mentioned that not all highways are making profits because they still need to finance hefty loans, where it will take at least 10 to 15 years to recoup their capital. He added that a drop in traffic volume on the highways will also cause concessionaires to experience a reduction in income.
Datuk Zainudin also pointed out that the prevalent haze, which resulted in school closures could also have contributed to the dip in traffic volume.
On another note, PSKLM committee member and Ekovest Berhad managing director Datuk Lim Keng Cheng pointed out that almost all new highway concessions are loss-making, save for the older ones, citing the Duta-Ulu Klang (DUKE) highway as an example.
The saying “highway concessions are sure to make profit” applied only to the first batch of concessions according to both Datuk Zainudin and Datuk Lim. “Those who jumped on the bandwagon later on do not enjoy such guarantee of profit anymore,” they said.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
DK
on 
la la
on 
Normal Guy
on 
john
on 
tokmoh.
on 
takmao
on 
alldisc
on 
db8
on 
fzr
on 
Lolol
on 
Same L0rrrr
on 
SAM Taik Loo
on 
Allergic to stupidity
on 
vecko
on 
Rhb
on 
Axxx
on 
applegreen
on 
Potong saga
on 
Mr Google
on 
ben yap
on 
furois
on 
tol owner
on 
andrekua
on 
arhusin
on 
public interest
on 
Gojeng
on 
George Abdul
on 
Keris Jawa
on 
klguy
on 
paanjang16
on 
FIST (Member)
on 
pojie
on 
Hashbrown
on 
Singaporean
on 
gbmh
on 
Angry Rakyat
on 
heybadigol (Member)
on 
Leonardo
on 
gt4
on 
paulz
on 
Malaysian's
on 
pikir positif
on 
Eazy
on 
FcukupG
on 
Mark Chong
on 
sakithati
on 
Sam BuLoo
on 
Levin
on 
AI-generated Summary ✨
Comments mainly discuss the toll hike causing reduced traffic, with some attributing the dip to external factors like haze and school closures. Several express frustration over toll companies profiting from public infrastructure, criticizing the high toll charges despite already paying taxes. Some suggest that tolls should be free or government-funded, emphasizing that roads are a public necessity. Others recommend alternative routes to avoid tolls or criticize the profitability of concessionaires. There is also commentary on the impact of toll hikes on daily expenses and the inconvenience caused, with some humor and sarcasm about alternatives like helicopter travel. Overall, the sentiment is largely negative towards toll increases, viewing them as unfair and unnecessary profit-driven burdens on citizens.