THE Public Estates Authority Toll Corporation (PEATC), the government corporation that operates the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), plans to ask the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and its private sector partner, the Cavite Infrastructure Corporation (CIC), to defer from immediately collecting toll fees from motorists once Segment 3B of CAVITEX opens to traffic in the coming days.
PEATC Chairman Engr. Anthony Peter ‘Onyx’ Crisologo said they are considering the proposal to help commuters cope with the rising cost of fuel prices due to the ongoing war in the Middle East between Iran, the United States and Israel.
The conflict resulted to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf where more than 20 percent of global oil traffic, including those bound for the Philippines, pass thru,
As a result, local pump prices are projected to surge to as much as P17 pesos per liter for diesel that would also result to the sharp increase in the prices of basic commodities and services.
“A temporary toll holiday when Segment 3B opens even for a short period of time is the least that we can do to help our countrymen as a responsible government corporation.
It is also in line with the call of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for everyone to do their share to help in this time of great uncertainty,” Crisologo said.
Segment 3B is a 2-kilometers long dual three-lane expressway that would cover the length from CAVITEX in Sucat, Parañaque in the west, to the C5 Expressway link in Taguig to the east.
It is the fourth and final link of CAVITEX to the main C5 expressway artery and other main thoroughfares in Southern Metro Manila, all the way to Southern Tagalog thru the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).
The opening of Segment 3B is expected to drastically cut travel time down to just 5 minutes while also absorbing the volume of traffic along the C5 route.
Crisologo also expressed confidence that the board of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) thru its chairman, Atty. Alex Lopez and general manager and chief executive officer (GM/CEO) Cesar Siador Jr., would support their proposal.
PEATC is a direct subsidiary of the PRA where Crisologo is also a board member while CIC is part of the bigger Metro Pacific Investment Corporation (MPIC) headed by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan.
Last March 5, Crisologo was joined by PEATC President/CEO Delfin Torrecampo and PRA Assistant General Manager for Land Development Atty. Joselito Gonzales at a press conference where they informed the public of the imminent opening of Segment 3B.
A day before, Crisologo said they conducted another ocular inspection of the project and reported it is already “more than 96 percent complete.”
“The segment is just undergoing final testing and other minor construction jobs to make sure that it is safe and convenient for travelers when it opened to traffic, and we expect everything to be completed very soon,” Crisologo said.
The PEATC and CIC earlier completed Segments 3A-1, 3A-2 and Segment 2 of CAVITEX that links it to Southern Metro Manila, SLEX and CALAX.
Studies showed that the new link would be able to accommodate an additional 22,000 vehicles each day. This is aside from the daily volume of more than 200,000 vehicles passing thru CAVITEX.
While the rate base for the use of Segment 3B is still under evaluation by the TRB, Gonzales noted that by way of “precedent,” the initial opening of any expressway has been free to the public for at least several weeks.
“Especially at this time and with the Holy Week also looming around the corner when most of us are on vacation, the PRA shall try its best to make the use of Segment 3B free for at least a short period of time,” Gonzales added.