Brace for toll hikes – TRB

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists must brace for higher costs of traveling this year, as the government is poised to approve a set of rate hikes for some of the busiest tollways in Luzon.

Toll Regulatory Board executive director Alvin Carullo told reporters that the TRB is in the process of reviewing several petitions from toll operators for rate increases.

He said the private operator of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is seeking an increase of at least P0.40 per kilometer along a stretch between the Bocaue Exit and Sta. Ines Toll Plaza.

Likewise, NLEX Corp. plans to recover its investments in building the third bridge for the Candaba Viaduct, which was opened to the public in December 2024. NLEX Corp. invested P7.89 billion in the project, and the concessionaire had to borrow to fund its construction.

Furthermore, there is a pending toll rise at the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway covering the third and final tranche of the periodic adjustment due in 2021 and 2023. However, NLEX Corp., which also manages SCTEX, has yet to initiate a motion to collect this toll hike.

Carullo said that as much as the TRB wants to spare motorists from higher tolls, it also has to consider the investments made by operators in upgrading their facilities and services.

Moreover, concessionaires are permitted by their respective contracts to seek toll adjustment once every two years, he pointed out.

“The government is also constrained in this situation because it has a contractual agreement, and the operators are entitled (to a rate hike) every two years,” Carullo said.

The positive news for motorists is that concessionaires are pursuing more improvements in their tollways. NLEX Corp., for one, is asking for approval to proceed with a road widening project in NLEX to allocate more space for motorists.

The TRB also expects NLEX Corp. to refine its proposal for NLEX Air, an elevated road on top of NLEX.

The project – first reported by The STAR in 2024 – will offer motorists an alternative way of crossing the Balintawak to Tambubong stretch of the tollway.

However, Carullo said NLEX Corp. is dealing with right of way issues in NLEX Segment 8.2, an 8.3-kilometer extension between Mindanao Avenue and Congressional Avenue in Quezon City.

The project, once completed, is seen to benefit over 45,000 motorists daily by cutting the travel time from Mindanao Avenue to Commonwealth Avenue to just 10 minutes.