Mayor Gatchalian on NLEX's business permit suspension: Tatagal kung 'di mag-improve

Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian on Tuesday said the duration of the suspension of the NLEX Corporation's business permit would depend on how soon the latter will act on the complaints against them. 

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, Gatchalian said the burden now rests on the management of NLEX and not on the city government. 

"Ang duration nito, depende sa kanila. Kung inayos nila sa madaling panahon, then wala tayong magiging problema. Maili-lift 'yun. Pero 'pag 'di nila aaksyonan 'yung complaints natin, 'di mag-improve ang RFID [radio frequency identification], tatagal at tatagal ito. The answer is with them, not with us," Gatchalian said. 

In a separate interview, Gatchalian said he is ready to lift the suspension order once the RFID issue has been resolved.

"Kung inayos nila bukas, eh di mali-lift natin bukas," he said at the Laging Handa briefing. "Ang sagot kung kailan mali-lift, kung may palugit? Wala. Nasa kanila na lahat ‘yan."

Suspension

On Monday afternoon, Gatchalian formally served the suspension of NLEX Corp.'s business permit due to the RFID mess, which resulted in heavy traffic in the city.

Gatchalian had said toll gate barriers would be raised because the expressway should remain open even with the suspension of the business permit.

The mayor has been appealing to NLEX Corp. to fix first the glitches of its RFID cashless payment scheme, including the readability of sensors, to prevent heavy traffic among motorists. 

"Una, gusto nating masolusyonan 'yung sensors na 'di makabasa ng RFID stickers para matigil na 'yung atras abante pagdating mo sa toll plaza. Kasi doon nagsa-start 'yung traffic eh," Gatchalian said. 

"Puwede na sila kumilos ngayong araw kahit holiday. Kalikutin na nila 'yung teknolohiya nila kasi sabi ko nga, ang primordial diyan 'yung readability eh. 'Pag dumaan 'yung kotse dapat basa agad," he added. 

He said the online loading system must be fixed too by NLEX Corp. 

The mayor said he is set to meet with NLEX officials on Wednesday, December 9, to discuss the issue. 

"Yes, kasi nagpapa-appointment sila. Nagkataon holiday lang ngayon," Gatchalian said. December 8 is a special non-working day due to the Feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary.

"Makipag-ugnayan sila kung paano pa natin mai-ease 'yung traffic flow. Pag-usapan namin ang comprehensive traffic plan," he added.

Series of consultations

NLEX Corporation president J. Luigi Bautista in a statement on Tuesday said the tollways firm “will continue to pursue a series of consultations and dialogues with the Valenzuela Mayor in good faith.”

Bautista said the company will  implement several measures to resolve the Valenzuela issue “to protect its customers and stakeholders.”

NLEX Corp. — which operates the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway — on Monday appealed for understanding and more time to address congestion concerns in Valenzuela.

However, the Valenzuela LGU rejected the company’s request to give them 15 days to solve the RFID cashless payment mess.

"Seven years na ako nagkukulit sa kanila na ayusin, ilang meeting na kami, ilang pangako na walang nangyari," Gatchalian said.

"Walang aksyon, walang kongkretong plano kaya kailangan natin kalampagin para gumalaw na kaagad sila sa mabilis na panahon."

Tollways such as NLEX implemented the RFID cashless payment system at its tollgates starting December 1 in accordance with an order of the Department of Transportation.

Heavy traffic has been observed at toll plazas as motorists lined up for hours to have RFID stickers installed on their vehicles.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) on Tuesday apologized to affected motorists over the problematic implementation of cashless RFID system in tollways, which led to traffic congestion.

Interviewed on Dobol B sa News TV, TRB spokesperson Julius Corpuz said the agency is already discussing possible temporary interventions and permanent solutions to the problem.

Despite the RFID mess on NLEX, Corpuz said the implementation of the cashless collection system in tollways will continue. Cash-based payments will  be considered in emergency situations only, he said. — with Virgil Lopez/KG/RSJ, GMA News