KUALA LUMPUR: Pan-Malaysia Lorry Owners’ Association has appealed to the government to intervene against any move to raise toll rates on Plus highways.
Its president Anthony Tan said the logistic industry could not face toll increment every three to five years.
“The interests of road users must be protected and issues on toll hikes should be properly addressed,” he said in a statement today.
Its concern, he said, was based on reports that UEM Edgenta Bhd had proposed for a contract of more than RM20 billion to maintain Plus highways for 21 years.
“We are concerned that this will lead to toll hikes which in turn, will burden lorry operators and other road users,” he said.
He said there were now more than 1.4 million trucks which travelled long distances on regular basis and formed one of the largest users of the highway networks in the country.
Therefore, he said the association welcomed the recent proposal by Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd to not raise the toll rates on Plus highways for 20 years.
“As we have invested substantially in our trucks, this will be another welcome move to attract more lorry operators to use the highways,” he said.