The offer of a no toll hike for 20 years by the takeover bidder of the North-South Expressway (PLUS) can put road safety at risk as it will have problems in financing the sharp rise in maintenance costs, according to an occupational safety expert.
Dr Mohamad Syazli Fathi, Deputy Director of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Occupation Safety, Health and Environment Unit, is skeptical about the offer against the backdrop of the ever exponential price increases in material costs, especially that of bitumen and cement.
This, coupled with the imminent rise in maintenance and operational costs would negate whatever extra income coming from the increase in traffic along the 772-km stretch spanning the entire Peninsular Malaysia, he said.
"Something has got to go should there be a no toll hike, putting road safety at risk," he told Bernama in joining the ongoing public debate over the plan by Maju Holdings Sdn Bhd which has announced a RM36 billion bid to take over PLUS from its present owners, UEM Group and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Along with the bid, Maju Holdings says it won't hike toll charges for 20 years.
Dr Syazli, who heads the university's Construction Quality and Maintenance (CQM) Reseach Group, said the maintenance of superhighways like PLUS was not as seamless as the public would like to believe given the fact that as more and more economic activity and construction took place with the opening up of the new areas, the environment impact would be more adverse as with their greater wear and tear.
What many do not realise was climate change that could only become more obvious in the future, he added.
"For example, normally when we talk about the annual floods, we think only of the East Coast states like Kelantan and Terengganu. But, now we have floods in Johor, Kedah and some other states," he said.
PLUS has had also to bear huge costs in resurfacing and maintenance of the various slopes by means of latest technology like the use of sensor which have become more and more expensive.
Highway users should also take this into account why a toll hike was unavoidable.
"Despite all this, PLUS only hikes its toll by just 5.0 per cent every three years compared with up to 40 per cent by the other 17 concessionaires and has had no increase since 2005. I believe they are able to do these because UEM and EPF are government-owned entities.
"They should remain in government control and it is very much in the interest of the 14.5 million EPF members who benefit from these investments," said Dr Syazli.
- BERNAMA
Bernama
Sun Oct 22 2017
PLUS only hikes its toll by just 5.0 per cent every three years compared with up to 40 per cent by the other 17 concessionaires and has had no increase since 2005. - Photo for illustration purpose
Kertas kabinet wujud sektor sukan dibentang dalam tempoh sebulan - Hannah
Hannah berkata dengan data yang lebih menyeluruh melibatkan sektor industri sukan nanti, pihaknya akan mampu merangsang pertumbuhan sukan di negara ini dengan lebih baik.
Tiga Syarikat Semikonduktor umum melabur di Pulau Pinang - Kon Yeow
Tiga syarikat semikonduktor dari China menyatakan komitmen untuk membuat pelaburan baharu di Pulau Pinang.
Pindaan garis panduan lawatan: Sekolah diharap susun semula program - Fadhlina
Semua sekolah diharap dapat menyusun semula program lawatan masing-masing berikutan pindaan Garis Panduan Lawatan Murid Sekolah pada tahun lepas bagi mengukuhkan pembelajaran di luar kelas, kata Menteri Pendidikan, Fadhlina Sidek.
Kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak dijaga sehingga tamat sekolah - KPM
Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia akan memastikan kebajikan pendidikan anak-anak 10 pegawai dan anggota Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia yang terkorban dalam nahas helikopter di Lumut, Perak, terus dijaga sehingga mereka tamat persekolahan.
Chegubard ditahan polis berkaitan hantaran mengenai kasino di Forest City
Chegubard ditahan di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini berkaitan hantaran mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City pada Sabtu.
Zahid minta pihak dalam BN buka "buku baharu"
Ahmad Zahid menegaskan senario politik tanah air sudah berubah dan terdapat banyak video lama dari parti lawan yang meminta pengundi menyokong DAP.
Malaysia kongsi pengalaman dalam usaha berterusan mempertahan Palestin
Delegasi negara akan berkongsikan peranan Malaysia dalam usaha berterusan mempertahankan nasib Palestin dalam Persidangan Liga Parlimen Al-Quds kelima yang berlangsung di Istanbul, Turki pada Sabtu.
Universiti Malaya mohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia
Jabatan Pengajian Antarabangsa dan Strategik, Universiti Malaya memohon maaf kepada seluruh rakyat Malaysia berhubung kenytaaan tidak bertanggungjawab Profesor Dr Bruce Gilley pada 24 April lalu.
Genting Malaysia nafi terbabit perbincangan
Selepas Berjaya Corporation Bhd dan Kerajaan Negeri Johor, kini Genting Malaysia Bhd pula menafikan sebarang penglibatan dalam perbincangan mengenai pengoperasian kasino di Forest City, Johor.
Berita tempatan pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Berikut adalah berita yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang Sabtu, 27 April 2024.
Jangan jejaskan usaha tangani isu perubahan iklim dengan sentimen politik - Ahli Parlimen
Jika tiada kematangan dan keinginan politik, sudah pasti isu perubahan cuaca akan memberi impak yang sangat besar kepada masa depan negara.
Perubahan iklim: Adakah Singapura akan tenggelam?
Menurut ramalan Pusat Penyelidikan Iklim Singapura, republik tersebut bakal mengalami peningkatan paras air laut sehingga satu meter menjelang tahun 2100.
Climate change in Malaysia and what it means for us
The worlds climate is changing for the worse, and humans are responsible for that. Lets dive into a touch of science to make sense of this.