Follow Us
-
Jan
4
South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) toll rates will go up each month from January to April until the fees reach what regulators have approved.
“For January, we are voluntarily giving a discount of 11.4 percent,” said Isaac David, president of SLEX operator South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC).
“For February, the discount will go down to 7 percent and for March, it will be 4 percent,” he said in an interview with reporters Tuesday.
“By April, we will implement the approved full rate,” David added.
SLTC reiterated the 250-percent increase on Jan. 1 was a discounted rate and a sign of goodwill for motorists.
The current and previous fees for various vehicles passing through the entire length of SLEX are:
- Class 1 P76 from P22
- Class 2 P152 from P43
- Class 3 P228 from P65
The current fees translate to an 11.4-percent average discount from the toll rates approved by the Toll Regulatory Board, according to SLTC.
Under the approved rate matrix, SLTC may charge up to P86 for Class 1 vehicles, P172 for Class 2, and P258 for class 3.
SLTC, the local unit of Malaysian conglomerate MTD Capital Berhad, owns the rights to operate and manage the toll road for 25 years from 2006.
Its contract with the Philippine government allows the operator to raise to SLEX raise toll rates for it to recoup the P14 billion it has invested to improve the highway.
Higher SLEX toll rates were supposed to take effect in July 2009, but a court order kept SLTC from raising its fees.
Malacañang earlier said it would review the increase in SLEX toll rates. — VS/KBK, GMANews.TV
Nov
4
SLEX to cost-cut to reduce losses
Filed Under News | Leave a Comment
MANILA, Philippines – The delay in the implementation of the toll hike at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) has caused its operator to lose millions of pesos each day.
Officials of the South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC), which holds a 30-year contract to operate, maintain and expand SLEx, said the company was losing P6.5 million per day since July, and will have to implement cost-cutting measures to get by.
SLTC wants to hike toll rates by 250% to recover the cost of rehabilitating SLEx.
The Supreme Court has allowed the increase, but the Toll Regulatory Board postponed its implementation pending consultations with various sectors. SLTC is 80% owned by Malaysia’s second-largest toll road operator, MTD Capital Berhad.
The firm has already submitted a cost reduction proposal to the TRB. Its proposal includes closing the lights along the main line in order to reduce electricity expenses, which amount to P4 million to P5 million a month; suspending services such as litter collection, grass cutting and fence cleaning; and reducing its 133 toll gates by around 30%. SLTC assured that the closure of the toll gates would not affect traffic or safety of motorists.
It said it would use traffic data in determining which toll gates can be closed at certain hours. But the move might have an impact on its employees. Although the company is not considering laying off people, some personnel will have to go through reduced working hours and pay cuts, it said.
SLTC President Isaac David also noted they may have to forgo benefits like Christmas bonuses due to low revenues. They are expecting the TRB to issue a decision on their cost-cutting proposal within the week.
Is this their style to get the government’s attention and people’s pity?
Not working with us though.
Aug
13
Lawyer asks SC to stop SLEX toll hike
Filed Under News | Leave a Comment
from abs-cbnNEWS.com:
MANILA, Philippines – A lawyer on Friday urged the Supreme Court to issue a status quo order that will stop the implementation of a 250% increase in toll rate of the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX).
Lawyer Ernesto Francisco said he filed a supplemental omnibus motion asking the Court en banc to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or a status quo order against the 250% toll rate increase scheduled to take effect at the SLEX on Monday.
The petition is separate from 2 petitions asking the High Court to block Monday’s implementation of a 12% value-added tax (VAT) on toll rates in superhighways.
Speaking to ANC, Francisco said he is writing a letter to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to inform him of a possible conflict-of-interest situation that led to the increase in the SLEX toll rate.
He said a copy of the SLEX supplemental toll operation agreement (STOA) showed that Mark Dumol, a former chief of staff of then Public Works and Highways Secretary Gregorio Vigilar, is the signatory of the Malaysian investors in the SLEX rehabilitation project.
He said Dumol, as Vigilar’s chief of staff, had earlier pushed for the escalation formula that would provide for a higher toll rate instead of the return on rate base formula that was being pushed by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for investors.
“There is a clear conflict of interest here where a government official who pushed for the provisions in the STOA is suddenly the president of the investors. I am asking the office of the President to investigate this but for the meantime, I am asking the SC to hold in abeyance the implementation of this STOA until such time that its provisions can be examined,” he said.
Francisco earlier petitioned the Supreme Court to nullify the STOA entered into by the Toll Regulatory Board with various private firms for the construction of the North and South Expressways and the Metro Manila Skyway. He said the TRB committed grave abuse of discretion in signing the contract without public bidding.
SC could decide on toll tax petitions
SC administrator and spokesman Jose Midas Marquez earlier said the High Court could decide on the petition to block the implementation of VAT on toll fees before August 16. The Bureau of Internal Revenue said it hopes to collect P12 billion annually from the collection of VAT on toll fees.
Marquez said the court may no longer wait for its next en banc meeting on August 17 to determine if there is a need to slap a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the plan.
“The petition was raffled off last Wednesday and is now assigned to a justice,” he said. “I would like to think that the justice handling the case would come up with a recommendation until Friday and Chief Justice Renato Corona would likely come up with an order upon the submission of the recommendation to him.”
Former Nueva Ecija Rep. Renato Diaz and former Trade and Industry official Aurora Ma. Timbol argued in their petition that the planned VAT on toll fees is “unconstitutional” and is an “invasion of legislative powers.”
Aug
11
Please be reminded that the increase in toll fees will take effect on Aug. 16 (Monday)—not only in SLEX but also in Coastal Road.
If you’re traveling from Alabang to Calamba on SLEX, you will now have to shell out P85 (from P22!) for Class 1 vehicles, P170 (from P43!) for Class 2 vehicles and P225 (from P65!) for Class 3 vehicles.
Those passing by Skyway will now also have to pay P112 (from P100!) for Class 1 vehicles, P223 (from P200!) for Class 2 vehicles and P336 (from P300!) for Class 3 vehicles.
Motorists passing by Coastal Road will also now have to pay P25 (from P22) for Class 1 vehicles, P48 (from P43!) for Class 2 vehicles and P78 (from P65!) for Class 3 vehicles.
This is if concerned groups including the Senate stops the imposition of the 12% VAT on the toll fees. Good luck to us.
Jul
21
August 16–SLEX Toll Yikes, we mean Hike!
Filed Under News | Leave a Comment
From mb.com.ph:
SLEx sets 233% toll hike August 16
By KRIS BAYOSJuly 18, 2010, 5:23pm
Motorists plying the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) will have to face the inevitable on August 16, when the long-stalled toll rate increase of 233 percent is enforced.
South Luzon Tollway Corporation (SLTC) Spokesperson Alma Tuazon said owners of Class 1 vehicles will have to pay P77 from the current rate of P22 for the use of the 29-kilometer Alabang-Calamba expressway. Class 2 and 3 vehicles will pay P155 and P232, respectively, when the toll hike is implemented.
The 233-percent toll hike translates to roughly P2.73 per kilometer from the original rate of P0.82 for Class 1 vehicles which make up most of the traffic along SLEx.
“If you come to think about it, our original rate is less than the cost of a canned softdrink and the new one will be less than the cost of two bottles of beer. With the upgrades and rehabilitation made in the SLEx, the toll hike is only just,” Tuazon said.
She assured the public that the inevitable toll hike will be justified by the rehabilitation and upgrades done along SLEx. Aside from the road widening from four to six lanes, the rehabilitated SLEX now boasts facilities like electronic message boards, lighting fixtures, closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, and median barriers. She said the SLTC was only able to rehabilitate and upgrade the SLEx with full funding from its parent company, MTD Capital Bhd. of Malaysia.
It was recalled that the SLTC and its Malaysian investors had deferred the implementation of the toll hike twice even though the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) already gave its go-signal.
The first was on June 30 in deference to the inauguration of President Aquino and the second was last July 7, when SLTC announced that it has voluntarily deferred the toll hike indefinitely. But Sunday, Tuazon claimed that the Department of Transportation and Communication (DoTC) already gave its consent to the implementation of the SLEx toll hike on August 16. DOTC Public Information Division chief Undersecretary Dante Velasco said Secretary Jose “Ping” De Jesus confirmed that the toll hike will push through on August 16.
“The implementation or postponement is not a matter of the secretary’s consent. He was just able to convince the Toll Regulatory Board and the SLTC to defer the implementation of the new toll rates until August 16.
To postpone it again will be a breach of contract, considering that the new rates were already approved, unless the concessionaire (SLTC) postpones it again,” Velasco said. Velasco also clarified that the DOTC does not consider the realigned toll rates as an increase, saying it is a mere introductory fee for the use of a new road.
“The secretary would like to clarify that there is no increase contrary to what is reported by the media because the new toll rates are approved for the use of a new road. The DOTC considers the rehabilitated SLEx a new road,” he added. “We have been very considerate with the new administration.
We have been cooperating with them, doing our part on the contract with the government. We are hoping that the toll hike will no longer be postponed because it translates to millions of losses incurred daily. We are confident that the new administration will be fair and law abiding,” Tuazon said.
Given the looming toll hike, Tuazon said the SLTC will continue to be considerate to the government by not immediately imposing the toll among motorists that will use the SLEx link to the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR).
A four-lane eight-kilometer facility, the SLEx-STAR link is already operational but is still not open to the public while the SLTC awaits the go-signal from the Philippine government.
