Press Release - Cayetano to DOTr: Stick to original concept of tolls, get more investors

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Monday to stick to the original concept of tolls to attract more investors and boost the economy.

"The concept of tolls is that the government uses private money to fix the road, then they give you 'X' number of years to recover. And then afterwards, pang-maintenance na lang [ang gagastusin]," Cayetano said during the Senate plenary debate for the 2024 budget of DOTr on November 13, 2023.

According to Cayetano, some roads built with private partners can generate enough revenue to cover the investment costs. However, when contracts "metamorphose" with additional components - as it happened with the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) when Skyway was being built in the 1990s - the contract's intent to eventually make the original road toll-free or at least cheaper is jeopardized.

"Parang piniprito rin tayo sa sarili nating mantika... na habang ginagawa y'ung sa ibabaw (Skyway), pinagkakakitaan y'ung ilalim (SLEX) na dapat patapos na," he said.

"Whether sa ilalim ka [dumaan] ngayon or ibabaw, mas mahal yu'ng ibabaw pero mahal pa rin y'ung ilalim," he added.

Service roads are a 'win-win'

Cayetano then asked the DOTr officials present at the Senate how many parts of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX ) have service roads which he said are important especially for lower-income people because they can be used without paying toll.

The DOTr officials responded that there are not many, and that the government has been improving MacArthur Road as an alternative to NLEX for many years.

Hearing this, Cayetano said service roads should be included in all future toll road construction projects because it is "a win-win."

"One, it allows people na wala talagang pera to do business. Secondly, it actually develops the land beside the service road. As you develop the road beside the service road, it actually generates jobs and [will eventually] generate taxes," he said.

Cayetano also asked the DOTr about the confidentiality of the concession agreements, underscoring the importance of transparency when it comes to computing toll fees especially when the public expresses concerns about them.

"Kung confidential ang