KL says tolls cannot be scrapped

KL says tolls cannot be scrapped

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters): Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir
Mohamad said on Monday the government could not abolish toll fees
on highways as it would have to pay billions of ringgit to
compensate the road builders.

"With having to pay such a big compensation, we will not only
have to postpone the construction of roads but also probably the
payment of salaries to government servants as there will not be
enough money," the national Bernama news agency quoted him as
saying.

"Why must we allow people with cars, who are actually the
well-to-do, to have free use of the roads?" he told local
reporters on his return from a trip to Davos, Switzerland.

At a peaceful protest against road tolls on Sunday, opposition
leader Lim Kit Siang asked the government to consider abolishing
tolled roads in the capital.