MANILA, Philippines—Motorists can soon save themselves, and a lot of other drivers, more time by preparing exact toll payments when using the South Luzon Expressway and Metro Manila Skyway.
The San Miguel Corp.-backed operators of the SLEX and Skyway will open dedicated “exact toll fee” lanes starting Dec. 15 to improve traffic flow ahead of the peak Christmas travel period, a statement over the weekend showed.
The move is expected to reduce waiting times at cash toll booths, according to the statement.
“We see this move as greatly benefiting our motorists especially this Christmas season,” said Manuel Bonoan, president and CEO of SLEX and Skyway operators South Luzon Tollways Corp. and Skyway Operations Maintenance Corp.
“By implementing this policy, we hope that more motorists will make it a habit all-year round to prepare the exact toll and use these express lanes, so they don’t have to spend more time than they need to, lining up at the toll plazas,” he added.
San Miguel noted that while it aimed to enforce this policy, motorists that had not prepared the exact fee but “accidentally” queued at the special lanes would still get their change.
“They will, however, cause delay and hold up other motorists using the express lanes,” San Miguel said in the statement.
“We very well understand that it will take a bit of adjustment from the public. But sometimes, all it takes is a slight change in mindset to solve even the biggest problems. We are confident that in no time, motorists will see why this makes sense and why all of us need to contribute to, and support, this effort,” Bonoan said.
The exact toll booth scheme is meant to complement the existing e-pass electronic toll collection system and the more efficient, soon-to-be introduced RFID system, which are aimed at modernizing and improving the toll payment system and making travel on the expressway more efficient for motorists.
Other measures being prepared include the deployment of more ambulant tellers at the highways’ busiest toll plazas. Motorists can also pay their toll fees via off-site payment kiosks in select Petron and other service stations along SLEX to avoid the expected long queues at the exit toll plazas.