Friday, July 31, 2009 [ manilatimes.net ]
By Francis Earl A. Cueto, Reporter
THE Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) will implement starting tomorrow, August 1,the 60-percent toll hike for a 5- to 7-kilometer stretch of the Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway, better known as the Coastal Road.
The toll increase will cover the section of the Coastal Road from Kabihasnan to Roxas Boulevard, which the toll to pass this section would increase from P5 to P8, an increase of P3, or 60 percent.
The Coastal Road toll had been increased on January 1 by as much as 22 percent to P22 from P18 (P4 increase, or 22 percent) for Class 1 vehicles or light cars; to P43 from P36 (P7, or 19 percent) for Class 2 or light trucks and buses, and to P65 from P54 (P11, or 20 percent) for Class 3 or heavy trucks.
Earlier, the city government of Parañaque and Las Piñas asked the board to reconsider the impending increase in toll rates for the Kabihasnan-Baclaran stretch of Coastal Road.
Earlier, the Philippine Estates Authority (PEA)-Tollway office said though they welcome comments and reactions from affected motorists, the suspension of the toll increase would depend on the Toll Regulatory Board.
As expected, the increase was met sharply by the transport sector, as party-list group 1-UTAK (United Transport Koalisyon) questioned the board for approving seemingly unjustified toll increases at the Coastal Road.
1-UTAK party-list Rep. Vigor Mendoza had written to Toll Regulatory Board Executive Director Manuel Imperial to ask for the board’s records concerning its deliberations for the grant of toll hikes at the Coastal Road on January 1.
Mendoza said they would compare the toll fees in other countries’ toll roads “that are also of the same condition as Coastal Road because we want to determine if the fees are justified considering the condition of the [Coastal Road] now.”
Earlier reports said the board approved the 60-percent increase on July 1.
He said that from the information his group had gathered, the board approved the toll fees on the basis that revenues to be collected will be used to expand and improve the tollway.
