News

NLEX, SCTEX to implement express-payment scheme during Holy Week

By Patrick Everett Tadeo —

TopGear.com.ph Philippine Car News - NLEX, SCTEX to implement one-time, express payment scheme during Holy Week

Motorists who will be traversing the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and exit either at Dau in Pampanga, or Tipo at the end of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) during the Holy Week will be able to enjoy the express-payment scheme that will be implemented from 2pm on April 4 to 5pm on April 5.

With the Holy Week Express Lane, Class 1 vehicles that will exit either at the Dau Toll Plaza or the Tipo exit in SCTEX from the Balintawak Toll Plaza or the Mindanao Avenue toll gate can use special lanes where a one-time toll payment will be collected. 

Ambulant tellers will also be deployed at the exit points to facilitate transactions faster.

"Our current daily average traffic along the NLEX is 160,000 vehicles per day, with the toll gates being busy up to around 6pm," said Bobby Bontia, Tollways Management Corporation (TMC) vice president for toll operations. "With the flow of traffic during the Holy Week expected to go up by as much as 200,000 vehicles per day, we hope that the one-time payment through the express lane will facilitate a faster flow of traffic through the toll gates and lessen the time the toll gates are busy, from 6pm to 4pm."

Asked why the express lane scheme is only being implemented for the northbound lane only, Bontia said the Manila North Tollways Corporation and TMC expect the traffic back to Manila will be spread out more evenly as the Holy Week winds down to a close by April 9, thus negating the need to put up a similar scheme for the southbound lane.

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  • bruce Mar 22 2012 @ 09:05pm
     
    they should rather implement a reduced payment for the holy week as part of their repentance from their overpricing!
       
    • 17Sphynx17 Mar 22 2012 @ 09:31pm
       
      Everyone wants to save a few bucks here and there but what is your basis for saying it is overpriced? do you have any proof that it is? if you do, then i suggest you use your efforts productive and use them in a proper forum rather just a comment.
         
      • bruce Mar 22 2012 @ 10:33pm
         
        my proof? isn't it that we are paying our taxes? at least for me, 32% of my income goes to taxes.. and where should my taxes go? partly for the improvement of our country and i think this should include our roads.. nowadays, every improvement that they make, they charge the Filipino citizens because they are saying it is being funded by foreign companies. now where is my proof? they kept it in their pockets!
           
        • 17Sphynx17 Mar 23 2012 @ 06:58am
           
          Government made the endeavor private. Or labeled it PPP or something like it that had participation by a private entity/corporation/partnership. So therefore it is not overpriced (and you have no proof as well), it is just you are complaining that they are charging you.

          Look, I wish they weren't charging us on using these expressways but if you don't want to be charged, you can avoid using it and use the inroads right?

          I think that is simple enough to understand.

          Again, if they did keep it in their pockets and you have proof, by all means, act on it and put it in the proper forum not just the comments section.
             
          • japster_13 Mar 23 2012 @ 08:51am
             
            nice point 17Sphynx17.. it is a privately owned so basically you pay for it.. and frankly this is a lot better since the roads are better maintained than if it was a public road.. imagine all the people jaywalking and slow tricycles on the road if this was publicly owned since officials wouldn't want to forbid these people from doing so in fear of losing their votes..
               
          • bruce Mar 23 2012 @ 03:31pm
             
            i am not a frequent user of NLEX nor the SLEX but I am from a province in the north. i can act on it if I become the president of the republic. :) TG has a comments section and as long as i am not being moderated by the moderators, this is the right and proper forum for me. it's seems you're being affected by my comments, are you an official of the expressways or a politician who pockets government funds? now I'm going off topic?
               
            • 17Sphynx17 Mar 23 2012 @ 04:07pm
               
              Nope sir I am not. It is not that I am affected I would like to be clear as to why you have that mindset.
              You harped about the toll you pay to use NLEX or SLEX as overpriced, if it is so then what is the basis? I mean just because a Manila to Calamba trip costs 214 php does that mean its overpriced? Just because it is not a few pesos doesn't mean it is overpriced automatically. There has to be a basis to your claim. If you have no basis, then I suggest you avoid harping such, regardless of freedom because it is an irresponsible exercise of such freedom.

              True you do pay taxes and so do I. And when I use the expressways I am obligated to pay the toll. But I accept that as a reality because that is the price to avail of the convenience I wish to avail of. Using the NLEX, SLEX or equivalent with corresponding toll is a convenience not a necessity.

              Only when there is no viable alternative to use does it deem the expressway as a necessity. Do you pay toll to use the service road of SLEX? I don't think so. But we want our trips to be fast and less of a hassle, as such, we opt to use the expressway (a convenience I would like to repeat).

              Making it private has made the roads of NLEX and SLEX specifically a breeze to use compared to what they were in the past. With the price of fuels and commodities, I would rather pay the premium asked of me to use the expressway that burn my money using other viable routes.

              Even if you become the president, you can't change a fact/reality. This is private enterprise that engaged in the construction, management, operation and maintenance of the whole of expressway. You can't have your cake and eat it without paying for it. Who foots the bill then? The same principle applies with the subsidies of MRT and LRT. Why should the whole of the Philippine budget be used to subsidize the MRT and LRT fares when it is only Metro Manila that benefits them? So you can not also be able to justify if and when a possible proposal of the government "subsidizing" toll fees crops up because the whole of the Philippines is not the user of NLEX, SLEX, SCTEX, Star Toll or what other expressway have you.

              As I said in one of my comments as well, I hate irresponsible comments which are baseless and are meaningless rants.

              The internet is there for us to use, but that doesn't mean we can use it irresponsibly and with no care in the world.

              And do I need to be an "official" of anything to be reasonable, rational and realistic?

              Cheers!
                 
            • 17Sphynx17 Mar 23 2012 @ 04:11pm
               
              @bruce

              But can you at least understand what I am trying to explain to you and the points I am raising. You really have no point other than "I pay taxes" and that you believe toll is overpriced without any evidence.

              I am explaining to you yet to attack my character/integrity with your "comment". Why? Can't argue with facts? Or just run out of steam?

              I am being a rational adult here enlightening you of certain realities you may not have realized before you made your comment. I suggest you be open to these kinds of discussion given that in the comments section, people can reply to your comment(s) as well.

              Cheers!
                 
              • bruce Mar 24 2012 @ 05:42am
                 
                @ 17Sphynx17

                well, we both have our own opinion. I am not an activist here complaining just for the sake of complaining. like what i was saying, i am not a frequent user of the expressways but i can feel the burden of some small businesses that needs to use the expressways.. by saying small means that they only have a minimal capital and small savings will go a long way for them.. i love the NLEX today compared to the NLEX before where the toll is only P14.50, likewise, i don't have an issue paying total of P157 exiting SF.. great road and very safe..

                just so, fact is that average of 160,000 vehicles ply the NLEX route daily, you can assume how many years the ROI of the investors. before anything else, i'm also into business and i know that if i ventured into something, i should earn at least three times the money i put into it at the shortest period of time. but do you think after the foreign firm achieved their targeted income from this venture, the toll will be lower? i don't think so..

                even if i still want to "argue", i prefer not as like what you've said, i should go to a more appropriate forum.. :)

                by the way, i'm impressed with your deliberation! let's put a closure to this as we both have differing opinions and i respect yours.

                cheers!
                   
              • 17Sphynx17 Mar 24 2012 @ 08:44am
                 
                @bruce

                Just to give you an idea, a typical sqm of road is about 4000-6000php per sqm. Assuming @ 4 lanes wide, every meter @ 4 lanes wide (2.5m wide each lane) is at 40000php minimum. However, since this is an expressway where speeds are typically faster and the roads need to be more durable, the cost would certainly be higher than what I am mentioning at this point in time. So if you have a 4 lane wide 1 km length, it would be 40000php x 1000m (40m php) just for 1km (again minimum cost). You also have to factor in the asphalt layer on top of the concrete which is not yet included in the approximate cost I mentioned.

                This at least gives you an idea of actual cost to construct. Then we have to at least consider the intricacies of bank loans. These stuff are never paid with outright cash. They are done through bank loans with bonds etc usually in dollar figures. Factor that in as well and you have an idea that other than the actual cost, you are incurring interest on top of your loan at a staggered rate.

                You haven't added yet maintenance cost, repair costs, operation costs, utility costs and salaries of all employess as well as the cost of building the HQ of either expressway.

                Sadly, it is not as simple a matter as both you and I would like it to be.

                I understand we have differing opinions but we both would of course very much like it if we could use expressways at the least amount. This affects not just ourselves, but practically everyone in some small way.

                But a reality of how business is done and its operational cost exists which will need to be kept in mind by any and all parties part of the "big picture" as user, supporter, complainant, operator etc.

                Cheers! And happy driving!
                   
            • japster_13 Mar 23 2012 @ 05:03pm
               
              no i'm not an official, etc. it just seems silly to be complaining about paying for the use of a private facility. i watch news and shows about other countries and they pay toll too on some of their roads, even if they are 1st world countries. governments can't manage and maintain everything, so why not give it to someone who can, esp here in the Philippines with our kind of government.
                 
  • dheezhee Mar 22 2012 @ 10:24pm
     
    SLEX - Star, hello?
       
  • mgr366 Mar 23 2012 @ 10:07am
     
    I fairly think that the Lopezes maintain the NLEX slightly better than the current management, this is not to say that its no longer being maintained properly. As for pricing, I'm not sure if its overpriced. I would love my taxes be spent in creating and maintaining new highways rather than have to go to a paid expressway... Wish ko lang.
       
  • seanski Mar 23 2012 @ 10:32am
     
    Just make sure there's a backup in case something goes wrong with the new system. I think it's risky that they're implementing a new system when the load is expected to be significantly high.
       
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