Toll Regulatory Board eyes 50% SLEX toll cut

MANILA, Philippines – The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) is considering a 50 percent toll cut on the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) due to deteriorating road conditions there that have triggered traffic gridlocks.

Transportation Undersecretary Thompson Lantion told The STAR that the TRB has given the Citra Metro Manila Tolling Corp. 15 days to comment on the petition of motorists seeking a 50-percent toll cut due to its failure to provide safe and efficient travel along the expressway.

“The main objective of the expressway is to provide motorists fast and uninterrupted use of the highway, but on the contrary, motorists are stuck in heavy traffic on SLEX,” he said.

Lantion said the TRB, which is chaired by Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza, has asked Citra to explain its side on the barrage of complaints from motorists.

“Instead of saving money, motorists are now spending more on fuel consumption,” he said.

The SLEX’s deteriorating condition was also the subject of a complaint from the National Council for Commuters’ Protection (NCCP), which even filed a civil suit to stop the recent TRB-approved toll increase.

Lawyer Vicente Millora, NCCP chairman, argued that the TRB approved the toll hike last December without any public hearing.

The court, however, dismissed the case, as it upheld the TRB’s power to approve the toll increase.

At the Senate, Sen. Bong Revilla expressed support for the proposed 50 percent toll cut on SLEX and Skyway whose ongoing repair is causing inconvenience to thousands of motorists.

“While the widening and repair continue, toll rates should be discounted until the full rehabilitation of SLEX and Skyway is complete and smooth and speedy travel is ensured. It is unfair to pay the full price of a still half-baked service,” he said.

Revilla echoed the statement of Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita and Zambales Rep. Ma. Milagros Magsaysay that private and public vehicles should be given a 50-percent toll discount on the SLEX. – With Christina Mendez