Poor condition of South Luzon Expressway hit

The leader of a Laguna residents’ group critical of the Skyway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) operators again slammed the Philippine National Construction Corporation’s (PNCC) failure to address the worsening condition of the SLEX.

"We fear the problem is being deliberately neglected by the PNCC to justify the entry of a private contractor," said Ray Junia, leader and spokesperson of the Movement for Responsible Enterprise (MORE).

Junia recalled that in 1995, the private Indonesian firm Citra managed to get into a partnership with the government to solve the traffic problem on the SLEX.

The partnership gave birth to the Citra Metro Manila Tollways (CMMT) that constructed the Skyway to help ease heavy traffic on the SLEX.

Prior to the government partnership with Citra, bad road conditions contributed to the heavy traffic build up on the Alabang-Sta. Rosa stretch of the expressway, said Junia, a resident of San Pedro, Laguna.

The STAR tried but failed to reach PNCC management for comment.

According to Junia, his group has gathered some 5,000 signatures of residents of the first district of Laguna for a letter addressed to President Arroyo, calling her attention to the plight of Skyway and SLEX users.

He said residents recognize the need for the higher Skyway fees but operators should ensure good service.

"We feel we’re not getting that now," he said.

Junia added that after their filing of a case against PNCC and CMMT last January, traffic has slightly improved.

"Still, solutions like counterflow of traffic vehicles are temporary," he said.

Junia and other residents of San Pedro, Biñan, and Sta. Rosa in January filed a case against the PNCC and CMMT for breach of contract. They also petitioned for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a subsequent injunction on the toll rate increase in the SLEX.

The suit was the residents’ answer to Citra’s claims that they cannot protest the new toll rates at the SLEX by virtue of a contract they entered with the company when it opened the Skyway system.

The contract came in the form of Citra’s advertisements and information campaign on the benefits of the Skyway, one of which was the reduced travel time from Alabang to Magallanes.

But residents claimed that years after the Skyway was opened and a 1,000 percent increase in the fee, traffic remained hellish.