Photo from Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian’s Facebook account
MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City’s roads are likewise affected by the traffic congestion brought about by the faulty Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) scheme at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian said on Sunday.
“Isang mayor lang ang naka-text ko, si [Quezon City] Mayor Joy Belmonte and sa kanya, she wanted to express support. Kaya siya nagtext noon nagiging biktima din sila, dahil kapag punong puno na ang Mindanao Avenue [toll plaza in Valenzuela] namin, tumatawid na ng Quezon City,” Gatchalian said in an interview on dzBB.
(I talked to Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and she wanted to express support. She texted me because Quezon City is also a affected, because if the Mindanao Avenue toll plaza is congested, it also affects parts of Quezon City.)
“Minsan nabibiktima na rin nagugulantang din sila na may pila na na umabot doon. She [Belmonte] said tama ang hakbang natin,” Gatchalian added, referring to his move to suspend NLEx’s toll collection in the city.
Mayor Rex Gatchalian personally served the Executive Order he signed suspending NLEX Corp.’s operation to the company’s offices in Valenzuela.
(They are affected too, they are surprised that tarffic congestion stretches all the way to their city. She said what we did was right.)
Gatchalian suspended the business permit of North Luzon Express Corp. last Dec. 7 because of the tollway company’s failure to promptly and adequately address the issues of the RFID cashless system, which has been causing traffic build in an around toll plazas in Valenzuela City.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte (FILE photo from QC-PAISD)
Aside from Belmonte, several Bulacan mayors also backed Gatchalian’s move to suspend NLEX’s business permit.