SENATE President Franklin M. Drilon lauded on Friday the integration of the North Luzon Expressway and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, an initiative that he pushed for to ensure a faster and smoother travel along the country’s major expressways.
“I am glad that our travelers can now enjoy a faster and more efficient experience when using the NLEX and SCTEX, which is important especially this Holy Week period when the NLEX and SCTEX are expecting a 10 percent to 15 percent surge in traffic volume,” said Drilon, a reelectionist candidate of the Liberal Party.
He said that people going on vacation or visiting their loved ones to provinces in Central and Northern Luzon will save as much as 40 minutes of traveling time now that the NLEX-SCTEX Integration Project is operational.
The four-time Senate president explained that the project features the unification of the NLEX and SCTEX toll collection systems, which reduces toll collection stops to two instead of five from Balintawak to Subic. Also, it lessens toll collection stops between Balintawak to Tarlac to two instead of four.
“Reduced collections stops mean fewer queue lines and travel stops for motorists to deal with. Subic-bound motorists from Manila will just have to stop at Balintawak and Subic or Tarlac, rather than the present situation of having to go through a dizzying array of toll plazas five times,” he said.
With the integration, motorists will no longer need to make a stop at Dau, Mabalacat and Subic Freeport toll plazas to pay or get tickets.
The integration project also features a unified ticketing system, electronic toll collection (Easytrip) and magnetic payment methods, which is projected to increase throughput up to 800 transactions per hour, compared to manual lanes which could only service 200 transactions per hour.
“The improved toll system will benefit the more than 200,000 vehicles which use the NLEX daily, along with the 30,000 vehicles that ply the SCTEX on a daily basis, in terms of savings in time and vehicle operating costs,” Drilon underscored.
“The faster movement of people means less time on the road and more time for them to spend with their loved ones, while the efficient delivery of goods and services in these highways means financial savings for the private sector,” he added.
He then thanked the Department of Transportation and Communications, Manila North Tollways Corporation, Bases Conversion and Development Authority, and Toll Regulatory Board for the realization of this project.
