Compromise on tollway rates seen

Motorists can expect lower toll at the North and South Luzon expressway by week’s end.

Sources at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said officials of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Philippine National Construction Corp. may agree on "compromise" rates that would be "a little lower" than those imposed by the PNCC last Monday.

The officials of the two agencies started meeting yesterday.

Transportation Undersecretary for Land Transport Arturo Valdez said it would be wise for motorists to keep their receipts so they can collect a refund once a toll rollback is implemented.

Toll at the North Luzon expressway is now 52 centavos per kilometer, from 33 centavos, for Class 1 vehicles (private cars and jeepneys); P1.04 per km from 66 centavos for Class 2 (vans and buses); and P1.55 per km from 99 centavos for Class 3 (heavy duty vehicles).

At the South Luzon expressway, the new rates are 72 centavos from 33 centavos per kilometer, for Class 1; P1.44 from 66 centavos per kilometer for Class 2; and P2.16 from 99 centavos per kilometer for Class 3.

During the meeting, the PNCC insisted there was nothing irregular or illegal in the raising of toll at the two expressways.

However, the TRB said it did not approve the toll hike.

In response, PNCC said its charter, Presidential Decree 1894 had given the agency the "right and authority" to hike toll after reporting the increase to the TRB.

It submitted the report in September last year and that the new rates were published last November, PNCC added.

But the TRB said the PNCC failed to point out the provisions of PD 1894 that empowers the TRB to approve any toll adjustment in the public interest.

The TRB had reportedly disapproved PNCC’s petition in September last year to increase toll in the North and South Luzon expressways after finding that the PNCC’s computations were based on 1997 figures.

It was said that the TRB asked the PNCC to submit "updated appraisals" using recent or 2002 figures.

The PNCC reportedly submitted the "updated appraisals" last March and the TRB was said to have granted the PNCC’s petition to increase toll from 33 centavos per kilometer to 47 centavos per kilometer at the North and South Luzon expressways last June 18. — Rainier Allan Ronda