The Toll Regulatory Board on Friday approved the provisional toll rates for the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project of San Miguel Corp.

For Class 1 vehicles such as cars, jeepneys, vans and pick-ups, the toll rates from Buendia to Sta. Mesa would be P105; Sta. Mesa to Ramon Magsaysay, P30; Ramon Magsaysay to NLEX Balitwak, P129 and Buendia to NLEX Balintawak, P264. 

For class 2 vehicles (buses, trucks and cars with trailers) the toll rates are twice as much as the rates of Class 1 vehicles, while for class 3 vehicles (large trucks and large trucks with trailers), the rates are thrice the rates of Class 1 vehicles. 

“The provisional Toll Fee Matrix will be published once a week for three consecutive weeks and a bond will be required to be posted by the Petitioner,” TRB said. 

“Please note, however, that the approval of provisional toll rates does not automatically mean that the proponent may immediately be given the authority to start collecting toll fees,” it added. 

TRB said the  Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) has the following procedures and requirements before an authority to collect or Toll Operating Permit (TOP) can be issued:

The project must be “substantially completed” or at least 95 percent complete. 

“An assessment was submitted by an independent consultant earlier this month stating that the facility is already 97 percent. This assessment is now subject to evaluation and validation by the Board,” TRB said. 

In addition, the  project must conform to the approved final engineering design, the project is capable of being operated safely and commercially and the  toll road facilities thereon have been installed.

“The installation of Toll Collection Equipment and System, which are needed to collect tolls, by the CENTRAL Metro Manila Skyway Corporation, is ongoing,” TRB said,. 

“A joint testing amongst the TRB, the proponent and Independent Consultant will commence on Monday, 29 March 2021, in areas where installation was completed, to ensure that there are no system glitches or flaws to avoid a repeat of the RFID problems we had in the past,” it added.

TRB said upon compliance to the above stated requirements, the publication of the toll fee matrix and posting of the required bond, a TOP may be issued together with the Notice to Start Collection. 

“Rest assured that it is the position of the Toll Regulatory Board, composed of the Department of Transportation, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Finance, and the National Economic Development Authority, to always come up with a decision that will be fair to the motorists, to the project proponent, and, to the Filipino people,” TRB added. 

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