THE quality and maintenance of PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) highways will not drop after the toll rate is reduced, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PLUS has provided an assurance that reduced toll rates won’t affect its ability to maintain the highways under it, the prime minister said in Langkawi today.

“PLUS has assured that reducing toll by 18% and no increase in tolls for 38 years won’t affect (its) service. It has sufficient funds to manage and maintain the highways.

“We are confident the volume of traffic on the highways will increase and add to Khazanah’s revenue, and we find that PLUS has other revenue streams like advertising that will help it,” the Langkawi MP said after visiting a waste-management plant today.

Last Friday, Putrajaya said toll rates for highways owned by PLUS will be reduced by 18% from February 1.

This includes the New Klang Valley Expressway, North-South Highway, Central Link, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, East Coast Highway Phase 2, Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, Butterworth-Kulim Expressway and Penang Bridge.

The extension of PLUS Malaysia’s concession period for 20 years from 2038 to 2058 is in line with the decision to reduce toll rates, it said.

This means that there will be no toll increase on PLUS highways for the next 38 years, from this year.

The extension of the concession period also means that the government will not have not have to compensate PLUS for not increasing toll rates.

A day earlier, Dr Mahathir said the government will keep PLUS, despite receiving takeover offers from private sector players. – January 19, 2020.