Skyway hikes toll as motorists protest

A consumer activist group staged a protest rally while several motorists complained as the Skyway System increase its toll rates yesterday.

Ray Junia, chair of Movement for Responsible Enterprise (MORE), said that as early as 8:30 a.m. members of his group converged at the Halang Southwoods Interchange to protest the new toll rates. They were joined by Laguna provincial board member Edwin Olivarez.

However, Junia said at least four security guards of the Philippine National Construction Company (PNCC), which has a joint venture with Skyway manager Citra, tried to disperse the group.

But the protesters stayed for an hour before finally pulling out. Junia said MORE members will be back today at the interchange to continue their protest, in preparation for a much bigger rally on Saturday.

"This is an ongoing struggle against injustice. We’re still on the educational stage. People will soon feel the pinch when they start paying the additional fees," he said.

Manny Prades, PNCC radio operator, said his office received at least six phone calls from motorists inquiring why there was an increase in toll rates.

"Some were questioning the increase, the others were merely inquiring why there was an increase," Prades said. He referred the callers to the Citra office.

The Skyway is managed by the Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp. (CMMTC), a joint venture between Indonesian-company Citra and PNCC, a Philippine government-owned and controlled corporation. The new rates is nearly 100-percent higher than the rates last year.

CMMTC spokesperson Ramon Borromeo had said there will be a P10 increase from the present elevated Skyway rates. At the at-grade level, the increase would be P5 from Magallanes to Bicutan and all points in between, a P2 increase from Bicutan to Sucat, and another P2 from Sucat to Alabang.

The new rates are under the second-stage of the provisional increase approved by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB). – Nikko Dizon