EMONG'S JOURNALS

Th e Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) had authorized the collection of the provisional toll rate adjustments for the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) pursuant to the Petitions for Approval of Periodic Toll Rate Adjustments for 2012 and 2014. Recently, SMC SLEX, Inc. and Manila Toll Expressways Systems, Inc. have notified TRB that they intend to implement the collection of the subject toll rate increase starting November 3, 2023 . This is the 1st periodic toll rate adjustments for SLEX since 2011. Nonetheless, to protect the general welfare, curb existing inflationary situation and to mitigate the impact of the toll rate adjustments, the TRB has directed that the same be implemented in two (2) tranches. The 1st tranche this year, and the 2nd tranche next year. Effective November 3, 2023, motorists travelling from Alabang to Calamba will pay an additional ₱10.00 for Class 1, ₱20.00 for Class 2 and ₱30.00 for Class 3. Those trave...

How much will the Skyway 3 toll fees cost? The Skyway Stage 3, which connects the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) to the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and enables motorists to get from Buendia to Balintawak in 15 to 20 minutes, will start charging its users starting February 1, 2021. Here are the proposed toll fees for Skyway Stage 3: NORTHBOUND Buendia to Quirino, Plaza Azul Php 110 Buendia to Quezon Ave, Sgt Rivera, A Bonifacio, Balintawak, NLEX Php 274 Quirino to Plaza Azul Php 110 Quirino to Quezon Avenue, Sgt Rivera, A Bonifacio, Balintawak, NLEX Php 274 Plaza Azul to Quezon Avenue, Sgt Rivera, A Bonifacio, Balintawak, NLEX Php 274 E Rodriguez to Quezon Avenue, Sgt Rivera, A Bonifacio, Balintawak, NLEX Php 133 Quezon Avenue to Sgt Rivera, A Bonifacio, Balintawak, NLEX Php 133 SOUTHBOUND NLEX to Sgt Rivera, Quezon Avenue, E Rodriguez Php...

The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 partially opens on Tuesday, December 29, and will be free of charge for a month, according to an official Facebook post from San Miguel Corporation head Ramon Ang.  The Skyway 3, which fully opens on January 14, will connect the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), and reduce travel time between Buendia and Balintawak to 15 to 20 minutes from the current travel time of 2 hours. Motorists can use the Skyway 3 via the following access points (exits): Partial:  Skyway Stage 3 Northbound 1. Buendia on-ramp 2. Quezon Avenue on-ramp 3. Balintawak off-ramp Skyway Stage 3 Southbound: 1. Buendia off-ramp 2. Plaza Dilao on-ramp 3. Quezon Avenue off-ramp 4. Balintawak on-ramp Full (January 14 onwards) 1. Balintawak Exit - for motorists to and from NLex, Caloocan, Valenzuela, Project 7 and 8. 2. Sgt. Rivera Exit - for motorists to and from the Manila ports, Rizal Avenue and A. Bonifacio. 3....

Motorists without radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers will still be able to enter and have RFID stickers installed at toll expressways beyond December 1, an official of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said on Tuesday. In a message to reporters, DOTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said a “stickering lane” will still be available to motorists at the tollgates. Libiran said only motorists who will enter RFID lanes without an RFID sticker will be penalized. “Beyond December 1, may RFID stickering lane pa rin na padadaanan sa mga motorista na wala pang sticker. Doon sila dapat na dumaan. Meron ding installation site bago mag-toll road na pwede nyang pag-installan (Beyond December 1, there will still be RFID stickering lanes that motorists without stickers can enter. They’re supposed to pass through there. There will also be installation sites before toll roads that they can visit to have an RFID sticker installed),”...

And there it is above, folks: the EasyTrip RFIDs that originally sell for only Php200 each are now being sold online for as much as Php900!  The November 2 implementation of the 100% cashless toll collection system on all Luzon expressways (NLEX, SLEX, TPLEX, etc.) has become a high profile event, causing a shortage of EasyTrip RFID stickers at designated service stations. But the scarcity may have been artificially created by online entrepreneurs. Whenever a high profile event sells out, you can be sure that retail arbitrageurs are at work, endeavoring to make profits at the expense of those who missed out. Much like ticket scalping – when tickets for popular events sell out fast, people take advantage of the shortage by selling tickets for a mark-up in the secondary market. This is what is happening now on the RFID online market places. You see, in a situation where an online entrepreneur is certain that the demand for products will b...

The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, an elevated toll road linking the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), has been completed and is expected to cut travel time from Balintawak, Quezon City to Makati to only 15 to 20 minutes. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS GUIDE? 1. What is Skyway Stage 3 2. Access Points (Exits) 3. Metro Manila Skyway Route Description 4. Future UV Express Routes What is Skyway Stage 3? The Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3 Project (MMSS3), also referred to as the NLex-SLex Link, is an elevated expressway from Buendia, Makati City to the North Luzon Expressway in Balintawak, Quezon City with a length of about 17.93 to 18.83 kilometers. 2x3 lanes from Buendia to Sgt. Rivera corner A. Bonifacio, Quezon City, 2x2 lanes from Sgt. Rivera corner A. Bonifacio to NLEX Balintawak, Quezon City and 2x3 lanes elevated roadway struct...

RFID is the abbreviation for Radio Frequency Identification. As you might have heard, major Luzon expressways – like the NLEX, SCTEX, TPLEX, CALAX, among others – will start implementing a no-cash policy for toll fees by November. Because of this, motorists have since been flocking to installation tents (AutoSweep and EasyTrip) at the expressways to get the RFID stickers installed, and some have even ordered online so they can DIY-install the kits themselves.  Though RFID systems are extremely reliable and can achieve a 99.9% system reliability on their RFID network, some motorists have reported that their RFIDs are performing poorly, and worse, their identification tags are not read.  And these issues seem to concentrate on the EasyTrip RFID and some vehicle models their tags are attached to.  What are the vehicle models? So far, the EasyTrip folks have identified a total of 9 vehicles with specific year models that have problems with headlamp installation. Note th...

Beginning December 1, 2020, the country's major expressways (which includes NLEX, TPLEX, SLEX, NAIAX, STAR, etc. ) will be utilizing the RFID sticker technology to implement cashless transactions in their toll booths in compliance with a directive from the Department of Transportation's (DOTr) Order No. 2020 – 012 on the use of a cashless system along expressways. ––––––––––––––––––––––– WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS GUIDE 1. What is RFID? 2. EasyTrip and AutoSweep RFIDs 3. Where to subscribe an AutoSweep account 4. How to Register your Autosweep RFID to Easytrip System? 5. Where to subscribe an Easytrip account? 6. Where to subscribe an AutoSweep account? 7. EASYTRIP – Where to reload? 8. AUTOSWEEP – Where to reload? ––––––––––––––––––––––– An RFID sticker is free-of-charge, but you have to cash out between PHP200 to PHP500 for the initial load. If you frequently travel along these expressways, I recommend you get your RFID sticker for a seamless, wo...

Here's how to drive safely in the expressways during summertime. We all have done it before, driving a 200-kilometer stretch of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), traveling at a steady 100 kph while our passengers (mostly family) are holding their breath and cringing because we attempted to answer a phone call while driving. We have to admit, it's one of a few mistakes we can commit while driving. The first mistake is thinking we always have control of the car. The second is our assumption that road traffic is eternally clear in the expressways. And there's the smartphone. WHAT'S COVERED IN THIS ARTICLE 1. What are the known expressways in the Philippines? 2. What are the most traveled days of the year? 3. How many road accidents occur in expressways? 4. How many deaths and injuries? 5. How many of these road accidents are phone-related? 6. Aside from mobile phones, what are the most common causes of road accidents? 7. What are the six (6) eff...