Motorists who have been using Skyway Stage 3 for free in the last seven months are probably undergoing some major adjustments right now. The tollway has begun collecting toll fees on July 12, armed with a Toll Operating Permit and a Notice to Start Collecting Toll issued by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB).
Even with Skyway Stage 3 collecting fees now, the speed limit remains
However, what hasn’t changed is the maximum speed on the thoroughfare that all motorists should abide by. In a tweet on its official Twitter account, toll operator Skyway O&M Corporation (SOMCO) reminded travelers that the speed limit on the expressway has been set at 60 km/h. This is on account of ongoing works along Skyway Stage 3 as well as carriageway geometrics.
The latter is especially important, as it refers to how the physical elements of the roadway are positioned according to established standards and the limitations that the infrastructure has to work with. In the case of Skyway Stage 3, these are the elevation of the structure itself and the semi-circuitous route it takes in linking both NLEX and SLEX, as opposed to the mostly straight path taken by standard at-grade expressways.
The toll fee won't be the only thing that violators will have to worry about
According to SOMCO, it will be strictly implementing the speed limit, with motorists caught violating this rule apprehended and subject to penalties. The toll matrix used by Skyway Stage 3 is already a contentious issue as far as many motorists are concerned, so incurring additional expenses by way of paying fines is not going to help your budget one bit.
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chief Ramon Ang explained that Skyway Stage 3 uses a variable traffic scheme system, where the barriers can be moved and reconfigured according to prevailing traffic conditions. The importance of maintaining a 60 km/h speed limit on the tollway was amply demonstrated in a prior incident, where a van plowed through the plastic bollards and collided with an SUV on the opposite lane.
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