MANILA, Philippines – Petitioners against the toll hikes at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) still have the chance to convince the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to lessen the provisionally approved toll rate increase. TRB chairman and Transportation and Communications Undersecretary for Project Development Ruben Reinoso clarified that the body has only granted provisional approval of the NLEx’s application for 11 percent toll hike and SCTEx’s 34 percent increase last December 17.
Operators of the NLEx and SCTEx, the Manila North Tollway Corporation and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority, were given the green light to implement the provisional increase by January 1.
Reinoso said those opposed to the NLEx and SCTEx toll rate increases still have three months from the date of implementation of the provisional toll rate increase to submit their petition to the TRB and convince them of the reasonability, or lack thereof, of the toll hikes.
“There is still a 90-day prescription period wherein the oppositors can still submit their petitions against the toll hikes. After then can the TRB meet again to decide on the toll rate increase with finality,” he said.
Following the TRB’s decision to grant provisional increase of the NLEx and SCTEx toll rates, class 1 vehicles using the 84-kilometer NLEx from Balintawak in Quezon City to Dau in Pampanga will be charged P195 from the current rate of P174. The NLEx toll hike translates to the adjustment from P2.13 to P2.38 per kilometer for Class 1 vehicles like cars, jeepneys, pickups and vans.
Meanwhile, class 1 vehicles of the SCTEx going to Tarlac City from Mabalacat (Clark, Pampanga) Interchange will be charged P117 from the usual rate of P88 for 44 kilometers, and those going to Subic in Olonggapo City will be charged P134 from the present rate of P100 for 50 kilometers.
The toll rate increase in SCTEx translates from P2 to P2.67 per kilometer for Class 1 vehicles.
Kris Bayos, Manila Bulletin
