Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon asked the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on Friday to suspend its toll fee collection in Marilao, Bulacan and open additional lanes amid ongoing heavy traffic buildup in the area due to repair works following damage caused by an over-height truck at the toll plaza.
Dizon said the NLEX “owes it to the public” to refrain from collecting toll fees at the moment while repairs are ongoing, with motorists dealing with intense traffic congestion in the area.
“I am demanding from NLEX that while this is being done and our fellow citizens are inconvenienced, they should waive the toll fees in the affected segment. Our countrymen should not have to pay anything while the repairs are ongoing,” Dizon said.
“It would be doubly painful for motorists if they were charged the full toll while they were stuck in traffic for hours even though they were only traveling a short distance. This is only a small consolation for the inconvenience suffered by motorists and passengers,” he added.
NLEX already opened one additional lane—providing a total of three lanes to allow faster flow of traffic.
Dizon also noted that the two- to three-week timeframe for the repair of the damaged bridge was “unacceptable,” urging NLEX to get it done by “one week.”
The Toll Regulatory Board, for its part, requested NLEX Corp. to explain why it should not face penalties over the March 19 incident where an 18-wheeler truck collided with the Marilao Interchange Bridge.
NLEX already filed charges of reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property against the driver and the owners of the truck.
The Land Transportation Office also issued a show cause order to the truck company and its driver.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Dizon urges NLEX to waive toll fees over Marilao traffic woes.”