SLEX, Skyway to open ‘exact toll’ lanes

MANILA, Philippines - Diversified conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is adopting measures to ease traffic along the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and Metro Manila’s Skyway.

SMC’s South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC) and Skyway Operations Maintenance Corp. (Somco) will open “exact toll” lanes starting Dec. 15 to hasten travel time and allow motorists to avoid long queues at toll plazas.

SLTC and SOMCO president and chief executive officer Manuel Bonoan said the move would improve the flow of traffic, which is stalled by long lines at tollbooths during the Christmas exodus in and out of Metro Manila.

“We hope motorists will make it a habit to prepare exact toll amounts so they don’t have to spend more time lining up at the toll plazas,” Bonoan said.

He said more ambulant tellers would be deployed to hasten traffic flow through the tollgates during the holidays.

Bonoan said motorists could also pay their toll fees through off-site payment kiosks in select Petron and other service stations along SLEX to avoid long queues at the exit toll plazas.

Toll operators said motorists who don’t have the exact toll but have accidentally lined up in special lanes would still be served.

“It will take a bit of adjustment from the public. But sometimes, all it takes is a slight change in mindset to solve even the biggest problems. We are confident motorists will see why this makes sense and why all of us need to contribute to, and support, this effort,” Bonoan said.

The exact toll booth scheme is meant to complement the existing e-pass electronic toll collection system and the more efficient, soon-to-be introduced radio-frequency identification system.

The systems are meant to modernize the toll payment scheme and make travel along the expressway more efficient for motorists.

SMC through San Miguel Holdings Inc. and the Citra Group of Indonesia took over the SLEX project in 2012 through the acquisition of the 80 percent interest of MTD Manila Expressway Inc. in SLTC.

On the other hand, major shareholders of SOMCO, which operates the Skyway, include the Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp., the Toll Road Operations and Maintenance Venture Corp., the Asset Values Holding Corp. and the Metro Strategic Infrastructure Holdings Inc.

Other toll road projects of SMC include the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, and the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway.