Palace orders SLEx toll fee cut

A 10% reduction in toll fees for the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) from the Alabang to Calamba segment was scheduled to take effect Friday midnight upon orders of Malacañang, a month after the start of the main works for the Alabang viaduct repair. The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said the reduction could provide relief to motorists who might experience some traffic inconvenience due to the on-going construction and rehabilitation of the SLEx. In a statement, TRB said the reduction was ordered by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, upon recommendation of Transport Secretary and TRB Chairman Leandro R. Mendoza. From Alabang to Calamba, class 1 vehicles (cars, jeepneys, pick-ups and vans) are now charged a toll fee of P24 from the old fee of P27; class 2 vehicles (buses) are charged P48 from P53 and class 3 vehicles (heavy trucks) are charged P72 from P80. "The reduced rates will be in effect for the duration of the SLEx improvement projects," Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said in a separate statement. To be sure, SLEx rates had increased staring last January. Toll fee from Magallanes to Alabang-Filinvest for Class 1 vehicles (cars, jeepneys, pick-ups, vans) increased from P55 to P65. Toll rate from Magallanes to Bicutan for Class 1 vehicles went up to P30 from P25, while from Bicutan to Sucat it jumped to P18 from P15. The charge for same class of vehicles from Sucat to Alabang-Filinvest increased to P17 from P15. The Alabang viaduct repair is part of the P8.5-billion SLEx rehabilitation project being undertaken by the South Luzon Tollway Corp., which is a joint venture between the government and Malaysian company MTD Capital. The project consists of three phases, called project toll roads (TRs) 1, 2 and 3. Major works began in November last year. TR1 involves the full repair, rehabilitation and widening of the 1.2-kilometer Alabang viaduct which was built in 1976. The viaduct is now structurally weak and can no longer withstand a high-intensity earthquake. With the rehabilitation of the viaduct, it is expected that heavy vehicles will be able to use the elevated portion of the structure. TR2 involves the rehabilitation and widening to eight lanes of the existing four-lane highway from the south end of the Alabang viaduct to Santa Rosa in Laguna and up to six lanes from Sta. Rosa to Calamba. The initial phase of TR2 works spans between the Filinvest Interchange and San Pedro and will effectively link up with the current TR1 work site. Four additional lanes are now also being built on the highway median. TR3 will involve the construction of a new four-lane toll road from Calamba to Sto. Tomas, Batangas. Once completed, the now 28-kilometer SLEx will total 36 kilometers from the Alabang viaduct to Sto. Tomas, Batangas and will link with the STAR (Southern Tagalog Arterial Road) expressway which leads to the Batangas International Port. The P8.9-billion rehabilitation work on the 13.5-kilometer stretch of the expressway is one of the 21 priority projects exempted from the election ban. It is scheduled for completion before yearend. The improvement project will facilitate the connection of the north and south expressways through the P12.76-billion C-5 Expressway. Last January, toll fees at the North Luzon Expressway were also cut by about 10%, also upon orders of the Palace. Fees for class 1 vehicles dropped to P37.50 from P42.40; for class 2 vehicles, P93.76 from P106.01; and for class 3 vehicles, P112.51 from P127.22. - MEE, JLC/BusinessWorld