Transport group to hold rally vs SLEX toll hike

MANILA, Philippines - The militant public transport group Piston (Pagkakaisa ng Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide) will stage today a noisy picket rally at the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) office in the Ortigas business district in Pasig City to press their demand for the agency to block the imposition of the 300 percent toll hikes at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).

George San Mateo, Piston secretary-general, said that other public transport groups and consumer groups are expected to join today’s mass action to demonstrate the public’s opposition to the astronomical increase in toll fees at the tollway.

“We are strongly against the 300 percent toll fee hikes at SLEX which would unjustly burden public transport operators and drivers as well as the thousands and thousands of commuters who use the expressway,” San Mateo said.

He said they are hoping that the TRB would heed the public’s sentiments against the toll fee hikes especially in view of the difficult times.

The TRB, chaired by Transportation Secretary Jose de Jesus, is set to meet today at the board’s office at the Integrated Bar of the Philippines building in Ortigas, where the recent Supreme Court’s lifting of a temporary restraining order on the SLEX toll hikes will be discussed and deliberated on.