House probe targets easing of heavy traffic on NLEx
House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Monday tapped Deputy Majority Leader and ACT-CIS party list Rep. Erwin Tulfo to look into the perennial problem of heavy traffic on expressways leading in and out of Metro Manila, especially during holidays.
Romualdez also raised the likelihood of a congressional review on the government’s concession agreements with tollway operators should the concern remain unresolved.
In a statement, Tulfo said the Speaker had received reports about malfunctioning radio frequency identification systems on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) which caused long queues at toll plazas on Holy Wednesday.
“[It is] disheartening that during a time when our citizens seek ease and convenience in their journeys, they are instead met with long hours of delays and inconvenience due to the very automated systems designed to provide seamless toll collection,” he added.
“This also undermines the riding public who pay a premium to avoid traffic on other major thoroughfares but are met with heavy traffic on NLEx, Southern Luzon Expressway and Skyway anyway,” Tulfo said.
Search for solutions
Based on Romualdez’s instructions, officials and executives of tollway concessionaires—including NLEx Corp. and San Miguel Corp. Infrastructure—will be invited to the House of Representatives to “shed light on the causes of these recurring system malfunctions, the mechanisms they have in place to resolve such system failures, and what we can collectively do to improve our tollways moving forward.”
Tulfo said that also to be invited are officials of the Toll Regulatory Board and the Department of Public Works and Highways to provide a comprehensive background on and recommend solutions to the problem.
According to the lawmaker, if the heavy traffic on expressways cannot be resolved, “a review of the respective concession agreements of these tollway facility operators and grantees may be done by Congress to ensure that these entities are fulfilling their obligations to the government and the Filipino people.”
