Toll board approves user fee hike for NLEx, STAR
By Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo
THE Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has provisionally approved an increase in user fees for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR).
The new fees take effect on Nov. 6, and the approval is subject to the filing of documentary requirements by the toll road operators.
The TRB has approved a provisional fare increase of P0.25 for NLEx, or P18 for 72 kilometers, subject to value-added tax (VAT), in response to a petition by Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) to implement a toll increase of P0.27. The increase is intended to recover the P2.7 billion it invested in expanding the expressway.
For Class 1 vehicles, or cars and jeepneys, use of the toll road from Balintawak, Quezon City to Dau, Pampanga would cost P236. Buses and trucks, classified as Class 2 vehicles, are to pay P590, while trailers and large trucks or Class 3 vehicles will be paying P708.
The TRB also approved a P0.67 provisional increase for STAR, inclusive of VAT, based on the request of its operator San Miguel Corp. (SMC) for a P1.36 increase to recover investment incurred in lane widening.
“For NLEx, we have approved provisional adjustment subject to satisfaction of requirements,” TRB Executive Director Abraham P. Sales told BusinessWorld in a phone interview.
The final toll increase is subject to further hearings to allow oppositors to air their side.
Mr. Sales said that the government did its own computations in granting only a P0.25 increase, lower than the P0.27 requested by MPTC, noting that P0.25 is sufficient for MPTC to recover the investment from the expansion. “We made our computation down to P0.25 per kilometer [and considered] inputs from DoF (Department of Finance), NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority), DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), Department of Transportation… They can recover it until the end of concession.”
MPTC expanded the two-lane portion of NLEx between Sta. Rita and San Fernando, Pampanga to three lanes on both northbound and southbound lanes. The lane between Dau and Sta. Ines will also be expanded to two lanes.
For STAR, operated by SMC, TRB has also approved a toll increase subject to requirements.
“For STAR, we have also approved the toll increase, also subject to the requirements. We granted P0.67 inclusive of VAT,” Mr. Sales said.
TRB also said it will review the proposals of SMC to expand its toll roads, and have asked the conglomerate to submit more details, except for plans regarding the NAIA Expressway as the road is a DPWH project.
“We asked them to provide the details… We have to look if it is viable,” Mr. Sales said in a phone interview. The initial assessment of the plans is “positive.”
SMC said on Wednesday that it submitted to the government a three-year plan to expand the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Skyway system, NAIAx and STAR.
MPTC is the tollways arm of Metro Pacific Investment Corp. (MPIC). MPIC is one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc. Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
