What can you say about the recent toll hikes at the NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX?

The price we pay for progress

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: Road users must pay for progress. Investors have to get paid. How about expressways in Mindanao cities? It’s time to think about our progress, too.

Ruben Viray, Antipolo City: We have to buy convenience because it is no longer free in any developing country. Investors risked their money on these projects and they are just getting back the return on their investment. As the saying goes, “No money, No honey”. A Third World country like ours must bear the pain of progress and we have to pay for the price at all costs.

Felix Ramento, USA: If we want world-class highways, which our government cannot provide, both the driving and riding public must bear the pain of having them financed and constructed under government sponsored agreements/contracts with private and/or foreign entities.

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: Anywhere in the world, whenever infrastructure is needed to address the need for progress, the cost is passed on to users, who benefit from such costly projects. We have to pay for progress especially in this country where our government cannot afford such huge costs of infrastructure. I only hope that the toll hikes are not exorbitant. One fear I have is the effect of the toll hikes on the price of common commodities in the Greater Manila Area, such as food items that are transported via NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX. A price watch could be the order of the day to protect consumers.

Elmo Cruz, Manila: To maintain and improve the good condition and quality service of expressways, a toll hike is inevitable. If we hold the rates, we suffer the consequence of poor maintenance that will eventually deteriorate our expressways over time.

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City: If the move should fast track or spur economic development and the road users’ safety is a primordial concern, a periodic increase in toll rates, to my belief, is inevitably justified. Expectedly, resistance may come in the form of transport strikes, but they should not outweigh the benefits that could be derived from the said rates hikes, these roads being very vital and necessary. An information drive from the expressway management, therefore, is a must particularly on the aspects of manpower costs, the importance of highway maintenance and related concerns addressed with a minimum of delay.

The price we pay for corruption

Jim Veneracion, Naga City: The 200-per cent increase must be the result of the tongpats earned by GMA’s men who negotiated the contract. Motorists would have to shoulder it again.

Jesus Mendoza, Pangasinan: The toll hikes are high. Perhaps, the cost of doing business during the previous regime were factored in and bribery monies need to be recouped.

Richard Decena, Quezon City: Ang toll hikes sa tatlong expressways ay bunga ng “tong-pats” bukod sa pagbawi ng ginasta at kikitain ng mga investors.

Pro-business

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: After the pro-people transport fare policy of the second Macapagal regime, now it’s pro-business for the second Aquino government. And there’s still the MRT rates waiting for adjustments. Everybody happy.

Leonard Villa, Batac City: Toll hikes are a working of free enterprise under a capitalist economic scheme and no amount of protests against it could reverse the painful truth.

Investors need ROI

Renato Taylan, Ilocos Norte: It may look oppressive but businessmen behind these projects have also interests to protect. Hiking toll rates is the fastest way for them.

Edwin Castillo, Tanauan City: These are merely expected toll hikes for foreign capitalists who have to recover their investment on expressway improvements.

R. Los Baños, Las Piñas City: We can never build these infrastructures under our own finances, so we invited investors to build them under a BOT scheme. If these toll hikes are within the scope of the BOT agreement, then there is nothing we motorists can do but accept them. Investors have the right to recover and profit from their investments.

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: I agree with the recent toll hikes at SLEX, NLEX, SCTEX. Let’s give investors what was agreed upon as they deserve that. That’s life. Sometimes, it hurts but you have to swallow it.

Ruel Bautista, Laguna: It’s a business undertaking done by private enterprises, which need to recoup their investment. But they have to stay within reasonable rates. 

Manuel Abejero, Pangasinan: Banks and lenders charge exorbitant interest rates. Greedy businessmen want a considerable return on their investments, which they borrowed from the banks. Government agencies like NEDA, DPWH and the worst and most ruthless of them all, the BIR, ask for unnecessary requirements, haggle for commissions, withhold approval of plans, and rig the bidding in favor of anyone who’s willing to pay an advance commission. All these components, put together, result in an explosive concoction we now call NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX.

A burden we need to bear

Lydia Reyes, Bataan:  Over! Sobrang pahirap sa mga motorista.

Pitts Hizon Mexico, Pampanga: The recent toll hikes are an additional burden to motorists and the commuting public. I hope P-Noy could find ways to mitigate the increase in toll fares if not totally suspend them.

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: It’s a triple whammy; a bitter pill that we are all forced to swallow and we can expect mounting opposition from various sectors.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: It’s an additional burden to the public at large as toll rate hikes have a domino effect on all other commodities. Why not subsidize from the payola of jueteng operations, which continuously rampages in our midst, so “everybody happy”, instead of the money going to the pockets of protectors only.

Rico Fabello, Parañaque City: If only everybody paid taxes, we wouldn’t be having these tollgates.

Minimize trips for now

Rose Leobrera, Manila: If ngumawa ako, would that reverse the price increase? Di ba hindi? I will just let others do the complaining and do their thing. It’s useless for me. I will just shun out-of-town trips, until I become immune to the prices. After the expenses I’ve incurred, less travel muna.

Too high

Rey Ibalan, Antipolo City:  While it is reasonable to make a fair return of investment for the improvement of expressways, it is unreasonable to impose such exorbitant toll fees.

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: I know the comfort that this SLEX, NLEX and SCTEX roads give to our commuters. What is ironic are the rates being charged to the riding public.

Ella Arenas, Pangasinan: Okay naman if the toll rates have to increase but not by 300 percent kasi masyadong masakit na sa bulsa.

L.C. Fiel, Quezon City: The onerous toll hikes at the NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX are straws that will break the commuters’ and eventually, the consumers’ backs.

Adrian Catral, Quezon City: Sa sobrang taas ng toll rates, I have no other alternative but to look for other means na hindi maapektuhan ng malaki ang budget ko araw-araw. SLEX and NLEX and SCTEX are good but way beyond our means.

Raymar Gurrea, Bacolod City: The rates imposed on these three national roads are quite high. Yes, it gives comfort but when you think about the high rates, one would think twice.

Jun Montebon, Parañaque City: It’s like shifting gears, from first to fifth. Jerrrky...!

Use freeways instead

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City:  The toll hikes are small compared to the time and fuel costs saved as against plying the old routes. People who do not wish to pay up: Use the old roads, it’s free.

Desuel Pardo, Mandaluyong City: Those who are complaining about the toll hikes of expressways should not use them; anyway, they are not freeways but tollways.

Domino effect

Germi Sison, Cabanatuan City: Any increase in the price of mineral oil has a domino effect on all prime commodities and that includes toll hikes. Unless we find a local supply of our required mineral oil or alternatives thereof, we cannot arrest the price increase on all prime commodities each time the international price of mineral oil goes up.

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: That’s the effect of having an improved freeway. Expect price increases on the cost of transportation and commodities entering Metro Manila. Dagdag pasanin sa mga motorista at mga magulang na may pinapaaral sa Metro Manila.

Did this undergo scrutiny?

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna:  The question is: Did these toll hikes go through careful and meticulous investigation, scrutiny and public hearing? There should be such careful and meticulous investigation of the matter before the said toll hikes are allowed to take place.

Elpidio Que, Vigan: Did this pass through public scrutiny? I did not read in major broadsheets or see on TV that public hearings for the toll increases happened. When NLEX toll fees first increased in the hands of the Lopezes, no public hearing for which took place, it rose so high many hundredfold. Now these?

Much-needed gov’t revenues

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The government needs to collect much-needed revenues. Motorists have to bear with the recent toll hikes at the NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX. They can plan their trips through these expressways to minimize their expenses.

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: Obviously, our government needs more money to operate and maintain these expressways, and possibly to pay the loan’s capital and interest.

The BOT scheme is to blame

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: If we have to blame anyone for our predicament, we should blame past officials who introduced the concept of Built Operate and Transfer (BOT). They said it will cost the government and people nothing but because of BOT, we are now paying the second highest power bill in Asia. The BOT is again responsible for the 300-per cent hike in toll fees and MRT fares. Past officials allowed the building of power plants, expressways, MRTs, etc. on BOT basis, which guaranteed them profits and return on investment. However, the builders must have jacked up their cost so high that when it comes time to charging motorists, commuter and power consumers, they have to pay exorbitant rates. For sure, those officials involved must have made a few bucks from it. It’s not true that they don’t cost the government a centavo because nothing is free. BOTs are costing consumers more than an arm and a leg.

Rene Poder, Manila: Being the inevitable by-products of unfair build-operate contracts, these toll hikes of the NLEX, SLEX and SCTEX are all “X-rated”.

Dennis Vibandor, Camarines Sur: There are always sad consequences when private-public partnerships have no well-defined parameters on the extent of the partnership. It is always the people that suffer the burden, and what hurts more is that we could not do anything about it.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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