No toll fees in SMC tollways on New Year’s Eve

MANILA: San Miguel Corporation (SMC)’s infrastructure unit will waive toll fees at all of its expressways on the New Year's Eve as a holiday treat to motorists.

Toll fees at the at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway (NAIAX), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) will be waived from December 31 at 10 p.m. to January 1 at 6 a.m.

The toll road operator also waived toll fees on the said expressways on December 24, Christmas Eve.

“This annual tradition is our way of showing the Christmas spirit, especially for those who for some reason will have to travel late and try to get home to their loved ones. Through this, we hope to help spread the Filipino Christmas spirit, and also wish our countrymen well at the start of the new year,” SMC said in a statement.

The company is also reminding motorists entering and leaving Metro Manila to anticipate heavy traffic on all expressways this week as holiday traffic volume is still expected to surge.

SMC also shed light on the recent advisory issued by Philippine Airlines (PAL), which urged travelers to arrive at Ninoy Aquino International Airport three to four hours early because of a new toll booth setup at NAIAX Skyway exits.

“While we appreciate PAL's concern for passengers, we need to make sure that our stakeholders are getting accurate information to avoid confusion. There have been no recent modifications to the toll booth setups or operations at both NAIAX and Skyway toll plaza,” the company stated.

SMC, in cooperation with local police and traffic management offices of local government units, has dispatched enough traffic management personnel to assist with controlling vehicular traffic at exit plazas.

All construction works at expressways have also been put on hold to alleviate traffic congestion.

Furthermore, the toll operator advises motorists to keep their Autosweep RFID cards in their cars and to make sure they have enough load. Ambulant tellers may scan these in advance to speed up exits at toll plazas.

The company encourages motorists who have not yet obtained their Autosweep RFID tags to do so at any of the Autosweep customer service centers and Autosweep kiosks located along the STAR tollway, South Luzon Expressway, Skyway System, NAIAX, and TPLEX.

In order to prevent any unfortunate events along the expressways, SMC also urges motorists to make sure their vehicles are roadworthy. Motorists can contact the following hotline numbers for assistance in case of an emergency along SMC expressways:

• STAR Tollway: 043-7567870 or 0917-5117827
• SLEX: 049-5087539 or 0917-6877539
• Skyway System and NAIAX: 02-53188655 or 0917-5398762
• TPLEX: 0917-8880715

Photos from San Miguel Corporation

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