The Toll Regulatory Board has approved toll rate increases in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) effective March 20. (Photo courtesy of NLEX Corporation)
MANILA -- Starting March 20, toll increases will be implemented at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) following its approval by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
In a statement on Wednesday, the NLEX Corporation said the TRB has approved its petition to impose an additional PHP10 fee in the open system and PHP0.18 in the closed system of the expressway, which traverses from Balintawak, Quezon City to Mabalacat, Pampanga.
The following are the additional toll rates to be implemented at NLEX:
Open system (Quezon City to Marilao, Bulacan):
Class 1 (ordinary cars): PHP10
Class 2 (buses and small trucks): PHP23
Class 3 (large trucks/trailers): PHP29
End to end system (Quezon City to Mabalacat, Pampanga):
Class 1: PHP22
Class 2: PHP56
Class 3: PHP67
The adjustments included the new add-on toll rate of PHP6 applicable to the open system upon the completion of the NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10 and PHP4 for the open system, and PHP0.18 for the closed system as part of the initial tranche of approved period adjustments due in 2013 and 2015.
“For the past seven years or since 2012, the NLEX Corporation has not enjoyed the periodic toll rate increases covered by its concession agreement with the government,” the tollway operator said.
The NLEX Harbor Link Segments 9 and 10 are now included in the open system and will decongest several traffic chokepoints such as A. Bonifacio, EDSA, C3 Caloocan, Karuhatan, MacArthur Highway, and Quezon City.
The NLEX Harbor Link Segment 10, inaugurated last Feb. 28, is serving around 30,000 motorists daily. It is also seen to reduce travel time between C3, Caloocan to NLEX Karuhatan in Valenzuela from one hour to five minutes.
In 2016, NLEX Corporation filed an arbitration case against the government due to foregone revenues amounting to PHP7.5 billion, as of June 2017, from failure to increase rates. Last year, the firm said it is willing to drop the case.
NLEX Corporation is a unit of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation. It is the builder and concessionaire of NLEX and also operates the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. (PNA)
