Sotto wants free toll pass during special holidays

North Luzon Expressway (Wikipedia photo)

MANILA — Senate Minority Leader Vicente C. Sotto III on Saturday revealed plan to file Senate resolution urging the major expressways to suspend toll fees during holiday-related days to ease the burden of the motoring public.

Sotto said the motorists should be given a break during the holidays by allowing them free passage through the main expressways.

Sotto said that the free toll pass for motorists could be allowed during holiday-related days designated by Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

”It can be implemented during Christmas, New Year, Holy Week, All Saints Day and other holidays when city residents travel to the provinces to be with their loved ones,” Sotto said in radio dzBB interview.

According to Sotto, the operators of these expressways have yet to come up with a solution to ease the stress caused by long queues of vehicles using manual payment system.

“There are only a handful of holidays in the country, I hope that they can consider this suggestion as a way of giving back to the public,” he said.

As soon as the Senate resumes its session after the Christmas break, Sotto said he will file a resolution that would seek to review the franchise or charter of the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).

Sotto also supported the call of Senate President Franklin Drilon for the installation of a synchronized toll collection system for connecting expressways so as not to delay the movement of vehicles using freeways especially during the peak holiday season.

The Senate President himself experienced an 11-and-a-half hour traffic at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on the way to Baguio City at the eve of Christmas Day.

Drilon has sought inquiry into the “inefficiencies” of the toll collection system at the expressways that aggravated the traffic situation.