NLEX to charge lower flat rates under open system

MANILA, Philippines — Lower additional flat rates will be collected by NLEX Corp. for the expressway sections covered under its open system to cushion the impact of the recently approved toll adjustments, the firm announced yesterday.

The open system refers to the urban portions of the expressway from Balintawak to Marilao, Bulacan wherein motorists are charged a flat rate.

The closed system, meanwhile, covers the portion of Bocaue onwards wherein expressway users are charged per distance traveled.

In a statement yesterday, NLEX said it would impose an increase of only P9 flat fee instead of the authorized P10 for Class 1 vehicles (ordinary cars) traversing the Balintawak, Karuhatan, Paso de Blas, Mindanao Avenue, Meycauayan and Marilao sections of the expressway effective March 20.

Class 2 vehicles (buses and small trucks) on the same corridor will only pay an additional P22 instead of P23, while Class 3 vehicles (large trucks/trailers) will pay an additional P28 instead of P29.

NLEX said the reduced toll increases are already reflected in the recently issued toll fare guide for those motorists traveling the entire NLEX.

“For customers’ convenience, the fare guide will also include the combined toll fee computation for both NLEX and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX). The SCTEX is not included in the toll rate increase,” it said.

Two weeks ago, NLEX announced that the Toll Regulatory Board has approved two of its toll rate adjustments for the expressway, authorizing the company to collect a minimum of P10 toll from Quezon City to Bocaue and 18 centavos per kilometer onwards.

The rate increases were approved following the recent opening of the elevated 5.65 km expressway Harbor Link Segment 10 traversing the cities of Valenzuela, Malabon and Caloocan.

Two weeks after its opening last Feb. 28, NLEX said over 100,000 motorists have benefited from the newly opened expressway in both northbound and southbound directions.

The completion of the Harbor Link Segment 10, which belongs to the open system, added new routes, exits and entry points to the system, helping to decongest several major traffic chokepoints like A. Bonifacio, EDSA, C3 Road in Caloocan, MacArthur Highway in Karuhatan, Valenzuela; and Quezon City.– With Ramon Lazaro