June greets motorists with toll hike

June greets motorists with toll hike | Daily Tribune

The motoring public should start adjusting their expenses to prepare for the looming toll rate increase starting the first week of June.

NLEX Corp. said on Wednesday that the toll rate hike will take effect on 4 June after the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) approved the second tranche of the approved 2018 and 2020 consolidated petitions for periodic toll adjustments.

Under the new toll fee matrix, motorists traveling within the open system, which runs from Balintawak, Caloocan City to Marilao, Bulacan, will pay an additional P5 for Class 1 vehicles (regular cars and SUVs), P14 for Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks), and P17 for Class 3 vehicles.

The closed system, covering the portion between Bocaue, Bulacan, and Sta. Ines, Mabalacat City, Pampanga, including Subic-Tipo, will also see increased toll rates.

Motorists traveling the NLEX end-to-end between Metro Manila and Mabalacat City will pay an additional P27 for Class 1, P68 for Class 2, and P81 for Class 3 vehicles.

Thorough review

“The additional rates, which followed strict compliance with regulatory procedures and underwent thorough review, were part of the approved periodic adjustments of NLEX due in 2019 and 2021,” NLEX said.

“The increase was deferred and divided into two tranches to help curb the inflationary strains and ease the impact on the users of the expressway,” it added.

NLEX has invested in numerous infrastructure and enhancement projects to enhance motorist safety and convenience between 2018 and 2020.

Significant investments

Over the years, NLEX Corp. has made significant investments in major expansion and enhancement projects that support the country's economic growth and, simultaneously, ease the travel experience for the motoring public.

The company has announced the opening of the new F. Raymundo Exit in Meycauayan and the expansion of the Meycauayan northbound exit ramp as part of its traffic decongestion program.

Additionally, the tollway company is on track to finish the Candaba Third Viaduct, which will widen the existing five-kilometer bridge from three lanes without shoulders to three lanes with inner and outer shoulders in each direction.

According to NLEX, the construction of the first two-kilometer section of the NLEX-C5 link from NLEX Mindanao toll plaza to Quirino Highway in Novaliches is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2024. MARIA ROMERO

The project will also involve installing roadway lighting from NLEX San Fernando to Sta. Ines to enhance safety. Likewise, Mexico will be reconfigured as a full diamond interchange to accommodate the increasing volume of vehicles in the area.