Heavy traffic during start of Skyway 3 toll collection 'birth pains,' says MMDA exec

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) traffic chief Bong Nebrija on Tuesday chalked to "birth pains" Monday's heavy traffic during the start of the toll implementation at Skyway Stage 3.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Nebrija said the heavy traffic was something they had expected over the weekend prior to the implementation of the toll.

"Those are birth pains, naintindihan natin yan [we understand that] and it's something we already expected over the weekend," Nebrija said.

"Hopefully it will get better as the days pass."

According to Nebrija, the heavy traffic was caused by motorists who have no RFID stickers or have no load who had to be accommodated as the toll plazas didn't have U-turn slots.

He said the heavy traffic "spilled over" to some Metro Manila roads.

"Yung spillover niyan, naramdaman din sa roads ng Metro Manila [The traffic spillover was felt in many road in Metro Manila]," Nebrija said.

After nearly seven months of providing the public free use of the 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) on Monday started the toll collection on the elevated expressway.

The approved provisional toll rates are the following:

• For Class 1 vehicles

1. Buendia to Sta. Mesa - P105.00
2. Sta. Mesa to Ramon Magsaysay - P30.00
3. Ramon Magsaysay to NLEX Balintawak - P129.00
4. Buendia to NLEX Balintawak - P264.00

• For Class 2 vehicles, the toll rates are twice as much as the rates for Class 1 vehicles.
• For Class 3, the rates are thrice the price of Class 1.

—KBK, GMA News