(Eagle News) — The Palace on Monday, Aug. 24, denied the government was pushing for the imposition of toll fees on Edsa.
“Wala pong ganung initiative sa pamahalaan ni Presidente (Rodrigo) Duterte,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said.
According to Roque, if there was any proposal to that effect, “ibang Presidente po iyon.”
Roque echoed the statement of the Department of Transportation on Friday, days after a news report quoted Transportation Road Sector Consultant Assistant Secretary Bert Suansing as saying the government was planning to implement a toll fee system along the major thoroughfare.
According to the DOTr, the toll road along Edsa was an “idea” or “concept” suggested by “various stakeholders” to mitigate traffic along the major thoroughfare, but that this has “not been formally discussed yet by the present DOTr administration.”
The DOTr said that while it “welcomes suggestions that will improve mobility and order of public transportation,” a suggestion “does not translate automatically into a proposal nor a project for implementation.”
“Like any project, it has to go through the proper process. We hope that this settles the matter,” the DOTr had said.
