TOLL rates and highway concession agreements which burden the people are being reviewed in view of the rising cost of living.

Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed said a toll review mechanism to gauge traffic volume and toll collected at the 22 highways nationwide could result in lower toll and re-negotiations of the agreements.

If the traffic volume is high, there should not be a need to increase toll rates at any particular route, he said at a press conference at Parliament Lobby yesterday.

Among matters being looked into is the Projek Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan (PLUS) highway concession, where the toll rate hike scheduled for last January has been delayed for a year.

Mohd Zin said parts of the PlUS highway would also be re-designated as "urban link" such as the stretch between Rawang and Nilai and "inter-urban exchange" such as stretches of highways passing within the areas of Ipoh, Seremban and Johor Baru.

"Also being considered is the highway traffic volume, the respective clause in the concession agreement, the toll rates, and the concession period.

"The ministry is also giving a re-look at the (concessionaires') financing of loans, maintenance and operation (costs)."

Mohd Zin said the review would focus on the revenue from toll collection as against the cost involved in the management and maintenance of the highways.

"And, if this can lead to a reduction of toll rates."

He added that upon obtaining all the relevant information, the ministry would then renegotiate with the concessionaires to come to an agreement.

Mohd Zin said the review exercise would be completed in three months.

Earlier in the Dewan Rakyat, in reply to an original question from Tony Pua Kiam Wee (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara), he said the total cumulative revenue of the 22 toll highways nationwide up to December last year stood at RM27.6 billion, while the total cumulative profits amounted to RM3.5 billion.

To a supplementary question from Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) - who wanted to know what had happened to the RM38.5 billion compensation that former works minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu announced in September 2005 to be provided to 20 highway concessionaires for not raising their toll rates - Mohd Zin said this was not included in the revenue and profit figures provided.

Mohd Zin said that while such a compensation was an alternative to raising tolls, there was also another possibility that could be looked into and this was to buy back the highways after considering their future value.

"It is one of the options. I'm not suggesting we will (go ahead with it). It is one option that we can look at," said Mohd Zin.

"The government is prepared to view the whole issue in its totality."