VEHICLE owners and public transport operators can heave a sigh of relief — at least for now — after the Toll Regulatory Board and the South Luzon Tollway Corp agreed to indefinitely shelve the approved hike in toll fees at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) which was to have taken effect today (July 7).
No new implementation date was given for the hike.
The 10% toll increase at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway from Sto. Tomas to Batangas Port in Batangas will, however, be implemented as scheduled on July 10.
The SLEx increase was originally set to take effect at the end of June but moved to July 7 as a sign of respect for the inauguration of newly installed President Benigno Aquino III.
Once implemented, the new toll fee at the SLEx for Class 1 or light vehicles will be P77 from only P22; Class 2 vehicles, P155 from P43; and Class 3 or heavy vehicles, P232 from P65.
At the STAR, Class 1 vehicles will be charged P60 from P55; Class 2, P120 from P109; and Class 3, P179 from P164.
To date, there are two cases on the toll hike at the Supreme Court (SC), one filed by Albay governor Joey Salceda and another by independent lawyer Ernesto Francisco, Jr.
Both are asking the SC to immediately issue a temporary restraining order against the toll increase, saying this would be detrimental to the public and the process lacked public consultation.
Trucking operators are maintaining their earlier position of immediately increasing rates once the toll hike either at the SLEX or STAR is implemented.
