DOTr urged to stop or defer NLEX toll hike
MANILA, Philippines — Bayan Muna party-list on Thursday urged Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to “stop or at least suspend” the toll increase on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).
The party-list called it an “anti-people measure” that will worsen the financial burden of Filipinos already struggling with high inflation.
“This toll hike is blatantly inflationary and will inevitably lead to higher prices of basic goods and services,” former Bayan Muna representative Ferdinand Gaite said in a statement.
“The substantial increases, especially for trucks and delivery vehicles, will definitely be passed on to consumers who are already struggling to make ends meet,” he added.
Gaite also criticized the government’s contrasting treatment of workers’ wage demands and corporate interests.
“When workers ask for significant wage increases like the P750 wage hike or even the P200 wage increase already passed in Congress, the Marcos administration has many reasons to block it,” he said in Filipino.
“But when big capitalists demand fee increases, they almost certainly grant them,” he added.
“The additional P142 for buses and small trucks and P171 for large trucks for end-to-end travel will significantly impact the and people,” Gaite went on.
“Basic commodities from Central and Northern Luzon will become more expensive in Metro Manila, while products from Manila will cost more in the provinces,” he added.
Gaite further warned that this toll hike is just the first of many increases that will further burden the public.
“This is not just a matter of convenience for private vehicle owners. It is a direct blow to the livelihood of ordinary citizens, who will suffer from rising prices. That’s why the DOTr must stop this,” he said.
