TOLL rates for highways under PLUS Malaysia Bhd will go down 18% from 12am on February 1, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Highways involved are the North-South Expressway, including the New Klang Valley Expressway, North-South Expressway Central Link, Malaysia-Singapore Second Link, East Coast Expressway 2, Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, Butterworth–Kulim Expressway and the Penang Bridge.

The reduction applies to busses, passenger vehicles and taxis.

“The toll rates for commercial vehicles remain at current rates until the end of the concession,” he said in a statement today.

The Prime Minister’s Department announced on January 16 that the reduction will come into effect on February 1.

PLUS Malaysia’s concession period was also extended by 20 years from 2038 to 2058, in line with the decision to reduce toll rates, PMO said.

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

The toll rate for private vehicles using the second Penang Bridge will be equalised to that of the first bridge after the 18% discount, which comes into effect from February 1, as announced in Budget 2020.

Lim said the restructuring of the PLUS concession will result in savings amounting to RM42billion throughout the new concession period, which ends in 2058.

This year, the government and consumers are expected to save RM1.1 billion, comprising of RM500 million from the 18% discount and RM600 million that the government would have had to pay to concessionaires to freeze toll increase.

Lim said the reduction in toll rates is a step towards abolishing tolls in phases, as promised in the Pakatan Harapan manifesto. This will be done through the renegotiation of concession agreements.

The savings recognised from the move will be channelled to welfare programmes and economic development, he said. – January 31, 2020.