Sotto renews call for free toll during holidays
Senate President Vicente Sotto III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday renewed his call for the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to implement free toll for motorists during holidays.
Sotto expressed his sentiments in view of the Holy Week season, where motorists flock to different out-of-town destinations passing through expressways for a faster travel time.
The senator, who has been seeking for toll-free holidays since 2015, said that making toll fees free during holidays would not a big effect on expressway owners’ income.
“I keep saying and asking TRB to remove tolls during holidays. Barya lang mawawala 1 day ayaw pang patawarin!” Sotto said in a tweet.
I keep saying and asking TRB to remove tolls during holidays. Barya lang mawawala 1 day ayaw pang patawarin! @nimfaravelo @sherieanntorres
— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) April 18, 2019
In 2015, Sotto pushed for tolls to be waived in expressways to avoid congestion in toll gates.
Sotto said that tolls could be waived not necessarily during the holidays itself, but on the days before and after the holidays where motorists leave and travel back to the city.
Depending on the destination, those traveling to the northern part of the country use the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), as well as the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway (TPLEX).
Those heading south, meanwhile, use the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Skyway, the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (Star) Tollway, and the Cavite Expressway (Cavitex). /jpv
