SLEX and Skyway's Astronomical Toll Rates

On 26 April 2011, new toll rates from Magallanes/C5 to Alabang will take effect, both in Elevated (Skyway) and At-Grade (lower) sections. For Class 1 vehicles, below will be the new toll rates, including the 12% eVAT as of 01 October 2011.

Elevated/Skyway Section:

Makati - Bicutan                                   72

Makati - Sucat                                    118

Makati - Alabang                                 164

At-Grade/Lower Section:

Magallanes/C5 - Bicutan/Merville            49

Magallanes/C5 - Sucat                          84

Magallanes/C5 - Alabang                     118

Bicutan - Sucat                                     34

Bicutan - Alabang                                  69

Sucat - Alabang                                    34

On my calculation, it will be a 23% increase on Skyway, while it will be a whopping 63% increase on lower section, both from current toll rates. Plus the 350% increase on SLEX toll rates from Alabang to Calamba, and you will understand why the South Luzon motorists are complaining on these insane toll rates. Add 12% on the toll rates below to include eVAT.

Like in my previous post about SLEX toll hike here, I understand that toll fee from Makati/C5 area to Alabang must also increase due to better road condition now. But 63% increase on lower section against only 23% increase in Skyway section is simply UNREASONABLE. In the first place, the road at lower section would not have deteriorated that much if they did not started the Skyway 2 stage. Its plain greed by Citra/Skyway Corporation, while the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) is next to useless, if they don't regulate the toll fees.

The Skyway stretch of 16.5 km from Gil Puyat to Alabang has toll rate of Php 8.91/km. North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) has 88-km distance from Balintawak to Dau Exit, with Class 1 toll rate of Php 195. On the other hand, SLEX has only 44.5-km distance from Nichols to Calamba Exit, with Class 1 toll rate of Php 192. After some number crunching, the toll rate in SLEX is Php 4.31/km at lower section, which is more than double the NLEX's toll rate of Php 2.02/km!

Both highway projects were built under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) schemes by 2 different companies. But how come SLEX's toll rate per kilometer is too damn expensive than NLEX's toll rates? At this time, I can only think of 3 plausible reasons why TRB execs approved the SLEX high toll rates. Were they influenced by hallucinating drugs, "hard-to-resist incentives", or plain mathematical stupidity?

Vehicular traffic in now SLEX had drastically lightened. Is it because of the higher prices of fuel, increased number of lanes, extension of Skyway, or higher toll fees?