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Group mulls petition vs Coastal Road toll hike plan


MANILA, Philippines -A commuter group on Friday said it is planning to ask a court to prevent toll hikes at the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (Coastal Road) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR). Elvira Medina, chair of the National Council for Consumer Protection (NCCP), said they are talking to their lawyers about a possible legal recourse for the increase scheduled for January 1. The NCCP was also responsible for the latest slash in jeepney, taxi, and bus fares after its petition for a provisionary fare cut before the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board was approved earlier this month. The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) earlier said that the toll adjustment – the increase ranging from P4 to as high as P17 – was long overdue since the last hike in the two major thoroughfares happened two years ago. The commuter group leader said the timing of the hike was suspect, saying it would work against commuters because they would be unable to petition before concerned government agencies as state workers are currently on holiday break. Medina slammed the TRB for the toll increase, saying the move would cause the prices of goods being transported in and out of Metro Manila to climb too due to a rise in transportation expense. Based on the new rates, the toll for vehicles plying the Coastal Road would increase between P4 and P11. The adjustments are as follows: Class 1 vehicles or cars: P22 (from P18); Class 2 or light trucks and buses: P43 (from P36); Class 3 or heavy trucks: P65 (from P54). Over at the STAR, toll charges at Stage 1 (from Santo Tomas to Lipa city in Batangas) will increase to 29 from P24 for Class 1 vehicles, P58 from P47 for Class 2, and 87 from P71 for Class 3. From Lipa to Batangas city or STAR tollway’s Stage 2, toll rates for Class 1 vehicles will go up to P26 from P20. Rate for Class 2 vehicles will increase to P52 from P40, while toll for Class 3 will increase to P77 from P60. TRB spokesman Julius Corpus, however, was also quoted in the same radio report as assuring that toll at the North Luzon Expressway, the South Luzon Expressway, the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and the Skyway will remain unchanged. - Mark Merueňas, GMANews.TV
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