TRB to deliberate on NLEX rate hike

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) is yet to decide on the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC)’s petition to raise the toll rate at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), a board member said yesterday.

“The board has no specific stand yet,” TRB private sector representative Raymundo Junia told The STAR in a phone interview.

Earlier this week, the MNTC filed a petition with the TRB seeking approval for a toll rate increase at NLEX to recover the P2.9 billion the company spent on road widening.

“All these new projects that we built obviously redound to improved capacity, better service to the motorists, which the government has already approved. So that’s really the basis for the toll adjustment,” MNTC senior vice president for legal, regulatory and government relations Romulo Quimbo said.

Junia said the petition filed by the MNTC needs to go through a process before an approval can be made. “This is yet to be deliberated by the board,” he said.

MNTC is asking the TRB for rate increases in Segment 2 of NLEX, particularly from Marilao, Bulacan to San Fernando. The MNTC has proposed the following increases per kilometer from Marilao, Bulacan to San Fernando, Pampanga: Class 1 vehicles, including cars, jeepneys, pickup trucks and vans, additional P0.2650 per kilometer from the current authorized toll rates for closed system of P2.378885; Class 2 vehicles, including two-axle trucks, buses and vans, an additional P0.6625 from P5.957213; and Class 3 vehicles, including trucks and trailers with three or more axles, an additional P0.7950 per kilometer from the current P7.136655.

Under the proposed adjustments, vehicles taking the Marilao to Sta. Ines, Pampanga stretch will have to pay P20 to P60 more, specifically, P192 from P172 for Class 1 vehicles; P480 from P430 for Class 2 vehicles; and P576 from P516 for Class 3 vehicles.

In addition, vehicles passing through Sta. Ines to San Fernando will have to pay P3 to P8 more particularly, P25 from P22 for class 1; P63 from P57 for class 2; P76 from P68 for class 3.

MNTC is the tollway arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Group.

MPIC posted a 14 percent rise in net income to P3.1 billion in the first quarter from P2.7 billion in the same period last year.