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 Contrary to previous reports, the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) said yesterday that it had implemented a Malacañang order to reduce toll rates at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) by 10 percent starting May 12.

The PNCC denounced public statements issued by certain groups for allegedly peddling misinformation in several publications through a press release.

“Mr. Melvin Matibag may have misled his so-called youth and business groups in denouncing PNCC for not implementing the rates. He should be familiar with the jurisdiction of PNCC in SLEX and the rules and process in toll setting. If he only called PNCC or TRB (Toll Regulatory Board), he would have gotten the right information,” PNCC spokesperson Madel Tacardon said.

Tacardon said the PNCC slashed toll rates in portions of the SLEX where it had jurisdiction.

“PNCC, in fact, outrightly implemented the order less than a day the toll fare reduction was ordered. The TRB, in a special meeting held on May 11, decided to reduce by 10 percent the toll fees in SLEX effective immediately.

“Within hours, PNCC was able to inform its toll systems provider in the United States to recalibrate the toll rates to effect the new rates ordered by the TRB. By midnight, or 1201 a.m. of May 12, the discounted rates were in effect,” Tacardon said in a statement yesterday.

While the TRB, which is under the Department of Transportation and Communications, has the sole authority to determine toll rates in the country’s tollways, PNCC – as the government tollway operator – implements the rates determined by TRB.

Tacardon also clarified that the PNCC “has jurisdiction only from Alabang to Calamba stretch of SLEX. Hence, any toll rate reduction implemented by PNCC will only cover this segment of SLEX. In ordering the toll discount, TRB lowered the toll rate from P0.93 to P0.84 per kilometer for Class 1 vehicles. The Alabang to Calamba stretch is 28 kilometers. The new toll rate hence was rounded off by TRB to P24, from the previous rate set on Jan. 1, 2007 of P27 for the same segment, or a discount of P3.”

Malacañang had ordered the toll reduction along SLEX in view of the traffic snarls that have become the daily scourge of motorists caused by the ongoing rehabilitation of a big portion of the tollway.

TRB did not order any toll rate reduction in other segments of the tollway, which are governed by a separate Special Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) with the Philippine Skyway Corp. that covers the stretch of SLEX from Nichols to Alabang.           – Rainier Allan Ronda