NLEX Corp. seeks toll fee hike from regulator after interchange completion

NLEX Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), has applied for an increase in toll fee after the completion of the Magsaysay Interchange, its president said.

“We already filed the petition. It is being evaluated by the TRB (Toll Regulatory Board). It will take the same process [and] the same evaluation so that they can determine whether the fractional toll is reasonable,” NLEX Corp. President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista told reporters on the sidelines of a forum last week.

The company opened the NLEX Connector section 2, beginning from España Boulevard to Magsaysay Section on Oct. 28, data from the company’s website showed.

Currently, the tollway company retains the current discounted rate of P86 for the NLEX Connector, Mr. Bautista said. Once approved, the toll fee will increase to P120, he added.

BusinessWorld sought comments from TRB on the status of the application but it has yet to respond as of press time.

The opening of the additional 1.8-kilometer four-lane NLEX Connector helped ease traffic congestion by cutting the travel time from C3 Road in Caloocan to Magsaysay Boulevard in Manila to eight minutes.

Overall, the NLEX Connector has three interchanges in C3 Road/5th Avenue in Caloocan, España and Magsaysay Boulevard in Manila.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., 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. — Ashley Erika O. Jose