PETALING JAYA: While the possibility of a reduction in toll rates has been welcomed, transport and consumer groups are more concerned about making toll concession agreements public. "Over and above what consumers pay, the Government also has to fork out compensation using taxpayers? money"- SYED SHAHIR SYED MOHAMUD Malaysian Trade Union Council (MTUC) president Syed Sharir Syed Mahmud said the public wanted to know what was signed as it involved their money every time they crossed tollgates.

"In view of that, we ought to know the contents of such agreements, which seem one-sided.

"Furthermore, over and above what consumers pay, the Government also has to fork out compensation using taxpayers' money," he said.

He said this meant consumers were being affected from all angles.

Pan Malaysian Lorry Owners Association president Er Sui See said it was high time the Government reviewed the agreements and also called for the contents to be made public.

"The Government has finally come to its senses and realised that so much is being paid to benefit so few."

Er also proposed that the Government or the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) take full control of PLUS Highway so that they could profit from the operator?s business.

"PLUS is a cash cow and if EPF took it over, there would definitely be more gains for the rakyat," he said.

Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Association president Datuk Ashfar Ali said it was good news but that it should have been done earlier considering the Government knew it could be achieved.

"Why did they wait so long and make so many people suffer"

Ashfar said if toll rates went down, it would help reduce operational costs for some bus operators in the long run.

The toll on six highways was last raised on Jan 1 but rates on four major ones, including the closed-toll portion of the North-South Expressway (NSE), was maintained.

The highways where toll was increased were the Seremban-Port Dickson Highway, the North-South Central Link, the Butterworth-Kulim Expressway, the Second Link, the New North Klang Straits Bypass, the two ends of the NSE at the Causeway and the Bukit Kayu Hitam toll plaza.

Maintaining the toll rate on the four expressways cost the Government RM242mil.