San Miguel to start charging Skyway 3 motorists, but at lower rates

MANILA, Philippines — Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. will begin charging motorists using its newly opened elevated expressway next week, but at much lower fees than initially proposed.

After nearly seven months of allowing the public to use its 8-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 project for free, SMC said in a statement on Tuesday that it would start collecting toll fees on July 12 using a revised matrix, which set cheaper prices than the original proposal.

SMC did not provide a comparison of the new and old matrix, but it said rates were lower particularly for motorists traveling shorter distances. The company will post the approved rates at the toll plazas prior to the start of collection.

Ramon Ang, company president and chief operating officer, said the revised toll matrix, as approved by the Toll Regulatory Board, “takes into consideration the pandemic, its impact on the economy, and on Filipinos.”

“These toll rates reflect our deferral of the collection of a substantial amount of the cost to build Skyway 3. We also further lowered the rates for those traveling shorter distances,” Ang said.

With a capacity of 200,000 vehicles per day, the Skyway 3 project aims to decongest EDSA and C5, two of Metro Manila’s busiest roads, by providing connection between the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

SMC, which fully-funded the project at no costs to the government, had spent over P80 billion — more than double its original cost — to complete the project over a period that spans two administrations. — Ian Nicolas Cigaral