PUTRAJAYA, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The Cabinet decided to postpone indefinitely the toll increase for five expressways that was supposed to take effect on Sunday.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the new toll rates announced by Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed on Thursday would not be implemented in the near term or until end of this year.
Following the deferment, the government would have to pay RM500 million of taxpayers' money to the five highway operators, he told a press conference at the Finance Ministry here on Friday.
Zin had told reporters at his ministry earlier that the government would postpone the new toll rates for the North-South Expressway, Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal System Expressway, Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, Sungai Besi Highway and New Pantai Expressway until end of the year.
The toll increase between 0.68 sen and 50 sen was to take effect on March 1 in accordance with the terms of concession agreements signed between the government and the concessionaires.
Several hours after the toll increase announcement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who was attending the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting in Pattaya, Thailand, had said he would ask the Cabinet to reconsider because it was inappropriate under the present circumstances.
Meanwhile, Najib dismissed perceptions that the toll hike deferment had something to do with the Bukit Gantang, Perak and Bukit Selambau, Kedah by-elections on April 7.
"The decision was made for the good and benefit of the people," he said.
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