North Luzon Expressway rates cheaper compared to other countries, says Diaz

CABANATUAN CITY – The increase in toll rates at the newly rehabilitated North Luzon Expressway (NLE) is no cause for concern for motorists and commuters since these are comparatively much lower (in fact the cheapest) – when compared with existing toll rates in France, Australia, Spain and other developed countries.

Undersecretary Renato Diaz, presidential assistant for Central Luzon said a comparative study on the existing franchises would show that the MNTC toll as proposed is still the cheapest.

Diaz said that the new toll-rate for class 1 vehicles is P2.48 per kilometer on a closed system which on a per kilometer basis is still significantly lower than toll rates in the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) of P4.10 (Skyway grade level).

"More significantly, NLE toll rates are much lower than those of France (P4.47 per kilometer), Australia (P4.81/km), Italy (P4.87/km and Spain (P5.6/km)," he said.

He allayed fears that the new toll rates would unnecessarily burden the poor commuters.

Diaz said the new NLE is consistent with President Arroyo’s "Go North Advocacy" which aims to promote North Philippines as a premier tourism and trade destination.

He said that the NLE will soon serve as a premier gateway for tourism and investments in the north that would enhance further the world-class transport and investment potentials of the Clark Special Economic Zone (CSEZ) and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ).

In the past, Diaz noted that the NLE was also instrumental in "Go North" activities such as the so-called "Go North Caravans" which caught the attention of the private sector and fanned international awareness.

Not only that, the NLE is also part of the Arroyo administration’s Greater Metropolitan Manila Concept which intends to expand development outwards, thus, decongesting Metro Manila and bringing infrastructure development projects to the nearby provinces.

As a "heaven" for motorists, Diaz said that NLE features a reliable support facility, comfortable travel through excellent ride-ability design and convenient amenities and safety through accident minimization.

He added that the new NLE boasts of modern operational features such as 24-hour effective traffic management (ETM) system, variable message signs to inform motorists, electronic and manual toll collection systems, emergency parking and rest areas.

"The motorists also avail of improved support services from the MNTC which is 20 minutes away, discounted toll-fee charges for public transport, emergency telephones for stranded motorists and reasonable towing and vehicle repair charges," Diaz said.

With the new North Luzon Expressway, Diaz explained that motorists will now be able to experience the benefits of faster and predictable travel time, resulting in reduced fuel and vehicle maintenance costs.

He said the NLE would also trigger a domino-effect in infrastructure development since inter-province road networks will be enhanced and existing roads will be rehabilitated and widened so that it may accommodate more traffic volume.

Proponents of the NLE are the First Philippine Infrastructure Development Corp. (FPIDC), Aegis Projects of France and Leighton Asia Ltd. of Australia.