For a couple of years now we have accepted the fact that using the Skyway is our new norm. There was no turning back. The 9-kilometer stretch took us less than 30 minutes to reach Makati. The Php23.00 toll difference seems worth it.
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| The pile-up approaching the new runway tollgate |
It was. Until the skyway management started construction on a new toll plaza near C5.
At the time when vehicles were just passing through, traffic was already piling up, adding maybe at least 5-minutes to our travel time. At that time I have already foreseen that it will be a disaster once the tollgate is functional. Imagine an ETC (RFID) user who used to just pass though the ETC lane to enter skyway and then exit as he pleases now has to stop and pass through another ETC lane just to get out of the skyway system.
Being an ETC user, I was hoping to avoid lining up behind cars looking for their tickets, checking all pockets and compartments for money, and waiting while the cashier counts their exact change. With the new system, all vehicles, paying cash or ETC, were jam-packed into the three-lane skyway, bumper to bumper, waiting desperately in line, asking for a miracle, cursing the skyway management.
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| On the 2nd day, the CASH payers were moving faster than the ETC users |
On the second day of the new runway tollgate, the ETC lane was slower than the Cash lane. I was in the middle lane trying to squeeze in the ETC lane on the left. But the enforcers waved and asked me to proceed in the Cash lane. So apparently, the system of ETC vs Cash was not even implemented. This just adds to the confusion. But the real question mark is, what's the logic behind this additional tollbooths anyway?
It was amusing to see the twitterverse explode with skyway tweets. Just a quick #skyway search is all you need.
Popcorn please.
After less than 2 days of this, the skyway management gave in.
