DOTC postpones SLEX toll hike

The Department of Transportation and Communications decided Monday to postpone the increase in toll rates of the South Luzon Expressway. Undersecretary for Road Transport Anneli Lontoc said in an interview Monday that the postponement should give SLEX operator Southern Luzon Tollways Corp.enough time to mount an information campaign explain why the fees were going up by 250 percent. “We’re talking about a postponement because we are asking the toll operator to do an intensive information campaign on why the increase is being done," Lontoc said. Dealing with the controversial increase of SLEX toll rates is one of the first initiatives by new Transportation and Comminications Secretary Jose “Ping" de Jesus. De Jesus was president and CEO of Manila North Tollways Corp. The then Lopez-led firm implemented higher fess for the North Luzon Expressway in 2005. The NLEX toll increases were as high as 1,000 percent for some parts of the road, and were met with stiff opposition by several groups. Lontoc said the rate adjustments for SLEX were within the bounds of SLTC’s contract with government. The SLEX operator earlier said it needed to adjust the current rates – set in 1984 – so it could recoup the P12 billion it spent to rehabilitate the expressway. Party-list 1-United Transport Koalisyon or 1-Utak is the latest group to oppose the SLEX rate adjustments, saying the move was “exorbitant, oppressive and confiscatory that needs to be considered." Still, Lontoc said that the toll rate increase was with the bounds of the contract between SLTC and government. "So this is all legal. We just need to give them more time to mount an information campaign." The Toll Regulatory Board that De Jesus chairs would meet on the matter to make the postponement official, Lontoc said. The adjustment was supposed to take effect on June 30, but was pushed back by the SLTC to July 10 in deference to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III who was inducted into office that day. —VS, GMANews.TV