Kajang-Silk Highway breaches 50-million-vehicle mark

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kajang-Silk Highway, operated by SILK Holdings Bhd via wholly-owned unit Sistem Lingkaran Lebuhraya Kajang Sdn Bhd, has breached the 50-million-vehicle mark today.

In a statement, SILK said it was a significant event for the highway that has been serving the greater Kajang area by acting as linkage to existing highway networks, including PLUS, BESRAYA and Grand Saga since 2004.

"More recently, it has added Lebuhraya Kajang Seremban and South Klang Valley Expressway to its list of connectivity," it said.

Its executive chairman, Datuk Mohd Azlan Hashim, said the highway has seen its average daily traffic volume increased from over 47,000 vehicles per day when it first started operations in 2004 to almost 150,000 vehicles today.

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N-S highway and NKVE to get 4th lane costing RM1.4bil

The STAR 7/7/10

Govt awards RM1.4bil contract to PLUS

PETALING JAYA: The Ministry of Works has informed PLUS Expressways Bhd’s wholly owned subsidiary Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan Bhd (PLUS) that the Government has awarded it a contract estimated to be worth RM1.143bil to build a fourth lane along certain stretches of the North-South Expressway and the New Klang Valley Expressway.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, PLUS Expressways said the stretches were Shah Alam to Rawang, Shah Alam to Jalan Duta and a section from Nilai (North) to Seremban.

“The details of the proposed funding for the fourth lane widening works are under review,” it said "and discussion with the Government, and shall be subject to the approval of the Government, bondholders/lenders and the board of directors of PLUS and/or PLUS Expressways,” it added.

“PLUS Expressways will make the appropriate announcement to the exchange in a timely manner on any further development on this matter,” it said.

PLUS eyes more overseas highway jobs

PLUS eyes more overseas highway jobs
By Zuraimi Abdullah
BTimes
Published: 2008/06/19

There are tremendous opportunities in India and Indonesia, says PLUS Expressways managing director

PLUS Expressways Bhd will focus on getting more highway jobs abroad, particularly in India and Indonesia, as domestic opportunities dwindle, its top executives say.They said the government's plan to spend on projects that benefit the masses more amid tough economic conditions means that the prospects for new highways in the country "will be quite minimal".Managing director Noorizah Abdul Hamid said there are tremendous opportunities in India and Indonesia. Already, PLUS has toll concessions and highway construction contracts in the two countries.India has planned to add another 1,500km to its highway network, while Indonesia wants to put up an extra 1,000km.

"The tender for the Indian job will be called out by this year," Noorizah told reporters after PLUS' annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.She said PLUS is also keen to offer its services in highway maintenance, both locally and abroad.PLUS' toll rates are scheduled for a raise by 10 per cent once every three years based on the revamped concession agreement sealed in January 2002.The first three years expired in 2004, meaning that the new rates for the subsequent three years were effective from 2005 and 2008. Noorizah said the current new rates would have been implemented from January this year, if not for a deferment following the government's decision to review all highway concessions.The company has since been partially compensated by the government for not charging the new toll rates on its highways, including the North-South Expressway."We have yet to engage in official talks on the toll revision, but we have been providing the information requested by the government," she said.

PLUS' chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim said it is still early to estimate the impact of the recent fuel hikes on the traffic at PLUS highways, but generally a slowdown can be expected in the interim.He added that during the previous increase in 2005, the traffic decreased, with the downtrend lasting for about six months before demand stabilised once the public finally got a grip with the reality."Last year, our traffic grew 7.5 per cent, the highest year-on-year growth since 2001. "The figures for January also showed strong growth," Sheriff said.

Ministry's study on highway concessions may see lower rates

Thursday May 8, 2008 The STAR
Ministry's study on highway concessions may see lower rates

KUALA LUMPUR: The Works Ministry will review highway concessions which may result in lower toll rates. Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed said he would call for a detailed study to be carried out before reviewing the concession agreements. Some of the important factors to be considered were the traffic volume forecasts, toll rates and period of the concession, he said.

“We will compare the toll collections, and maintenance and operational costs, as well as ‘heavy’ maintenance costs,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby yesterday. Heavy maintenance, he said, referred to scheduled maintenance to resurface the entire highway while normal maintenance involved patching up potholes.

Mohd Zin said there was a toll review mechanism clause in the concession agreements which prevented concessionaires from raising toll rates as they pleased. “If the traffic volume hits a certain level, then the toll increase can be averted,” he said. He said the study would be completed within three months. Asked if the findings of the feasibility study could lead to lower toll rates, he replied: “It is one of the possibilities.”

On whether the Government had paid compensation to any concessionaire as toll rates had not been raised this year, Mohd Zin said no payment had been made as it was reviewing the concessions. He said there were 22 highway concessionaires in the country but seven were not making profits, including the operators of the New Pantai Expressway, Shah Alam Expressway and the Second Link.

Earlier in Parliament, Mohd Zin told Tony Pua (DAP – Petaling Jaya Utara) that the total accumulated income from toll charges of the 22 tolled highways was RM27.6bil, while the accumulated profit was RM3.5bil as of December last year.

To another question by Pua, Mohd Zin said the ministry was discussing with PLUS to redesignate the North-South Expressway into urban and inter-urban areas, to study cost-effectiveness and traffic volume. He said the urban zone would be Rawang to Nilai while inter-urban would be areas in Ipoh, Seremban and Johor Baru.

“Alternative federal roads linking cities will also be given priority to be upgraded and these roads are free of toll charges,” he said.