For the thousands of motorists coming from the south and north of Metro Manila, the eventual opening of San Miguel Corporation’s (SMC) Skyway Stage 3 was a welcome Christmas gift. It's most appreciated by those that have to drive through terrible traffic jams just to get from one point of Metro Manila to the other.
So far, use of the 18-kilometer elevated megastructure is still free of charge and will remain free until the Toll Regulatory Board decides on how much the actual toll fees will be.
“[The] TRB has not yet issued its approval to authorize toll collection for Skyway Stage 3. Their petition is still in process and the review and validation is ongoing,” said Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) spokesperson, Julius Corpuz.
According to sources, the proposed toll fee on this newly-built expressway could cost motorists PhP274.00, one way, from Makati to Quezon City.
Motorists are divided on the issue of the Skyway Stage 3’s proposed toll rates. Some motorists argue that the PhP274.00, one-way toll fee of Skyway Stage 3 is too much, considering that it’s only 18-kilometers long and is already the same amount as a motorcycle’s full tank if calculated for two way. Also, they argued that the “exorbitant” toll fee would still force many motorists to use EDSA, defeating Skyway Stage 3’s primary purpose of decongesting the said thoroughfare.
On the other hand, some motorists say that the proposed PhP274.00 toll fee is just and fair, considering the fuel, maintenance, and time savings one could enjoy by using the elevated expressway. Some also argued that the amount of investment that SMC poured on the project, PhP274.00 is just a meager amount for a fast and safe journey from north to south of Metro Manila, and vice versa.
