Group to file petition to stop increases in tollways
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 01/04/2009 8:06 PM
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The National Council for Commuters' Protection (NCCP) on Sunday said it is set to file a petition to stop the increased tollway rates implemented at the start of the year by Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Coastal Road) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR).
The commuters' group said the toll hikes are an additional burden to motorists and commuters.
Elvie Medina, NCCP president, said that the toll increases should pass through a public hearing before they were implemented.
Medina also asked for the contracts between the government as represented by the Toll Regulatory Board and managements of the tollways should be made public. She said there was no clear basis used on the increases that were made.
Julius Corpuz of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said however that it is stated in the concession agreements of the operators that public hearings are not needed even as the new rates are provisionary in nature. He said the increases would depend on inflation and the foreign exchange rate.
Motorists passing through the coastal road are now paying P22 up four pesos from last year's P18 toll rate.
Meantime, Class-1 vehicles using the STAR tollway are charged P29 from the previous P24 toll.
The South Luzon Expressway is also expected to increase its toll fees this March or April due to road improvements.
The TRB earlier said the increase implemented January 1 was in line with provisions of the tollway concession agreements with the builder-operators of STAR and Coastal Road, whose toll rates were last increased in 2006.
Coastal Road toll rates for Class 1 vehicles or light cars increased to P22 from P18. Class 2 vehicles or light trucks and buses now have a toll rate of P43 from P36, while toll rates of Class 3 vehicles or heavy trucks now cost P65 from P54.
For the STAR, toll rates from Santo Tomas to Batangas City soared to P55 from P44 for Class 1 vehicles, P109 from P88 for Class 2 vehicles, and P164 from P131 for Class 3 vehicles.
STAR's toll rates at Stage 1 (from Santo Tomas to Lipa City in Batangas) went up to P29 from P24 for Class 1 vehicles, P58 from P47 for Class 2 vehicles, and P87 from P71 for Class 3 vehicles.
At the tollway's Stage 2 (from Lipa City to Batangas City), rates increased to P26 from P20 for Class 1 vehicles, P52 from P40 for Class 2 vehicles, and P77 from P60 for Class 3 vehicles. With a report from Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News
