San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will start collecting toll fees along the 18-kilometer Skyway Stage 3 beginning next week.
In a statement on Tuesday, the company said that it will use a revised toll fee matrix that is lower than the original proposed toll fees beginning July 12.
SMC made the announcement following the issuance of a Toll Operating Permit and a Notice to Start Collecting Toll by the Toll Regulatory Board on Skyway Stage 3. SMC said that it will post the final approved toll rates at the toll plazas prior to the start of toll collection.
SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang said that the revised toll matrix, as approved by the TRB, “takes into consideration the pandemic, its impact on the economy, and on Filipinos.”
“We thank the TRB for helping us determine the most equitable toll rates for our motorists. We know from experience that times are hard for many, and even a little relief for motorists can go a long way. These toll rates reflect our deferral of the collection of a substantial amount of the cost to build Skyway 3. We also further lowered the rates for those traveling shorter distances,” he said.
Ang said the toll fees that will be collected will provide the company revenues to ensure “continued efficient operations, maintenance, and safe driving conditions on the elevated expressway–particularly as daily traffic puts a heavy strain on the road infrastructure, necessitating significant maintenance costs.”
Prior to the soft-opening of the Skyway 3 at the end of December last year, SMC had opened the Buendia to Plaza Dilao section of the elevated expressway in July 2019. The northbound Quirino off-ramp was then opened in December of that year. The company explained that these sections have been free to the public ever since.
“Since its opening, the Skyway Stage 3 has also allowed motorists to fully experience seamless connection from South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and vice versa,” SMC said.
“It has reduced travel time from Alabang to Balintawak and vice versa, to only 30 minutes from the previous three hours, and from Buendia to Balintawak, to only 20 minutes– saving motorists not only precious time but also fuel and maintenance costs,” it added.
As of July 2, Skyway on-and off-ramps that have been opened to the public are: Buendia SB Exit and NB Entry, Quirino NB and SB Exit, Plaza Dilao SB Entry, Nagtahan SB and NB Exit, E. Rodriguez SB Exit, Quezon Ave SB Exit and Entry, Quezon Ave NB Exit and Entry, A. Bonifacio NB Exit, NLEX NB Exit and NLEX SB Entry.