Villanueva casts doubt on legality of NLEX toll fee hike
Under the new toll matrix, Class 1 vehicles or ordinary cars traversing from EDSA Balintawak or Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to Sta. Ines in Mabalacat, Pampanga will pay an additional P18. Class 2 vehicles or buses and small trucks will pay P46 more, while Class 3 vehicles which include large trucks and trailers will shoulder an additional P46. File photo
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Joel Villanueva on Wednesday raised concern on the legality of the toll fee hike in the North Luzon Expressway, which prompted an increase of 25 centavos per kilometers.
Villanueva questioned if the Toll Regularity Board conducted public hearings or posted adequate notice before approving the toll fee increase.
Under the new toll matrix, Class 1 vehicles or ordinary cars traversing from EDSA Balintawak or Mindanao Avenue in Quezon City to Sta. Ines in Mabalacat, Pampanga will pay an additional P18.
Class 2 vehicles or buses and small trucks will pay P46 more, while Class 3 vehicles which include large trucks and trailers will shoulder an additional P46.
The senator called the increase in toll fees “obviously unjustified and anti-poor.”
“Malaking dagok po ang pagtaas ng toll fee na ito sa ating mga kababayan sapagkat apektado po ang lahat dito. Sa pagtataas ng singil sa toll, tataas din ang presyo ng pamasahe, produkto at serbisyo (The toll fee hike is a huge blow to the Filipinos because everyone is affected. With the increase in toll fee, there will also be hike in fares, products and services),” Villanueva said.
Under the Administrative Code of 1987, the Commission on Audit should be consulted on any proposed toll hike.
Philstar.com tried to get TRB’s comment but the agency is yet to reply to the request.
However, the Manila North Tollways Corp., which acts as the builder and concessionaire of the NLEX, cited the necessity to be compensated for the P2.9 billion they spent for the construction of the road from Sta. Rita to San Fernando as the justification for the increase.
MNTC issued last year a notice of arbitration and statement of claim to the government to obtain compensation which amounts to P3 billion for the said expressway.
But for Villanueva, MNTC’s Annual Report for 2016 “casts a cloud of doubt on its entitlement to such increase.”
Based on its annual report, MNTC’s total revenues have been increasing from P7.6 billion in 2014 to P10.7 billion in 2016. The net income increased by 37 percent in 2016.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate likewise questioned the toll fare increase for NLEX. He filed a resolution early November seeking to investigate the hike.
On a daily basis, around 220,000 vehicles pass through NLEX, which connects Metro Manila to Central and North Luzon.
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