THE RECENT developments in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) bring mixed emotions of gratitude for the completion of the third viaduct, yet deep frustration over the worsening traffic conditions, particularly in the Balintawak-to-Bocaue section.
While NLEx management deserves credit for delivering a safer and more stable viaduct, this improvement is overshadowed by the persisting inefficiencies and mounting congestion that continue to plague motorists. Instead of a truly seamless and improved travel experience, road users find themselves trapped in the same old nightmare of slow, stressful, and unpredictable commutes.
Toll Hike Without Tangible Benefits
The disappointment is magnified by the recent increase in toll fees just a few months after the third viaduct was opened. Effective March 2, 2025, toll rates have gone up by ₱5 for cars (Class 1) in the open system, with corresponding hikes of ₱13 for Class 2 (buses, small trucks) and ₱15 for Class 3 (large trucks). Meanwhile, end-to-end travel from Metro Manila to Pampanga now costs motorists an additional ₱52, ₱129, and ₱156, respectively, for the different vehicle classifications.
These hikes were supposedly justified as part of periodic adjustments and to fund recent infrastructure improvements, yet motorists are still experiencing the same daily struggles—long, congested traffic, bottlenecks, and frustrating delays.
A toll increase should mean an improved service, but what do road users get in return? A gridlocked expressway that forces them to waste time, fuel, and patience.
The Balintawak-Bocaue stretch, in particular, remains a traffic nightmare, making a mockery of the word “expressway.” Instead of a faster route, it has become an expensive, high-priced parking lot, where the so-called improvements are barely felt by the daily commuters and businesses that depend on it.
A Failing Infrastructure and an Overloaded Expressway
The real issue is capacity. NLEx has long exceeded the volume it was designed to handle. With more vehicles using the expressway each year, traffic has become a permanent reality, especially in the Balintawak-to-Bocaue corridor.
- There is no more space for expansion, as both sides of the highway are occupied by local community service roads.
- Bottlenecks continue to cripple the flow of vehicles, particularly at major interchanges and toll plazas.
- Merging lanes and entry points are poorly managed, causing further slowdowns instead of smooth traffic flow.
This situation is not just an inconvenience—it is a serious economic issue. Every day, business travelers miss crucial meetings, deliveries are delayed, and entrepreneurs lose opportunities because of the severe and unpredictable congestion. Worst of all, air travelers frequently miss their flights because the time it takes to traverse NLEx is wildly inconsistent and dependent on luck.
RFID System Failures: A Cashless System That Doesn’t Work
Another major issue that adds to the frustration of traveling via NLEx is its RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) toll system. While the transition to cashless transactions was intended to speed up toll collection, the reality is far from smooth. More often than not, motorists are forced to tap their RFID cards on the toll booth sensor for the barrier to open manually, completely defeating the purpose of an automatic cashless system.
This not only causes delays at toll plazas but also worsens the congestion problem, as vehicles pile up while waiting for the faulty system to process their entry or exit. Why implement a cashless toll system when the equipment itself is unreliable?
A seamless RFID system should mean barriers opening automatically when a vehicle with a valid RFID tag approaches, ensuring a smooth and fast transaction. Instead, motorists are left fumbling with malfunctioning sensors, manual tapping, and even long queues—problems that should not exist in an automated system. Because of these failures, we strongly support the position of new DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon to suspend the full implementation of the cashless toll system until all issues are properly addressed. We hope that their promise to introduce true interoperability between different toll systems will be implemented soon, ensuring that motorists can use a single RFID tag across all expressways without issues.
Before pushing for cashless toll collection, the system, the toll operators (concessionaires), and the government must be fully prepared to avoid the chaos that we are already experiencing. Implementing a half-baked system only worsens the travel experience instead of improving it.
A Long-Term Solution: The Need for an Elevated Highway
There is only one viable long-term solution: the construction of an elevated highway from Balintawak to Bocaue. Without this, NLEx will continue to be an outdated, overloaded expressway that fails to deliver on its promises. Motorists are paying higher tolls, yet they are not experiencing the benefits of world-class infrastructure.
- An elevated highway would finally separate through-traffic from local traffic, significantly reducing congestion.
- It would allow for faster, seamless movement, especially for business and cargo transport that needs to get to northern provinces quickly.
- It would be an actual improvement worth the rising toll costs, unlike the current system, where people are charged more but receive no additional convenience. If this expansion does not happen, the situation will only worsen, leading to even longer travel times and greater economic losses as many new vehicles are keep on adding on the expressway each year.
Other Unresolved Issues: Philippine Arena Traffic and Flooding
Aside from congestion and the faulty RFID system, motorists continue to face two major problems: The Chaos Around the Philippine Arena Every time a major event is held at the Philippine Arena, traffic around NLEx turns into a disaster.
- Event-related congestion can last for hours, completely halting the flow of vehicles in and around Bocaue.
- Motorists who are not even attending the event suffer the most, as they are caught in an unavoidable and completely preventable traffic jam.
Despite years of knowing about this problem, NLEx management still has no permanent, effective solution. Instead, drivers are forced to adjust their schedules or avoid the expressway altogether when there is an event, further proving that NLEx cannot function as a reliable expressway.
Flooding: The Unacceptable Reality of a Major Expressway
Even though it is a major toll road, NLEx is still prone to severe flooding, especially during heavy rains.
- In the past, certain sections become impassable, causing huge delays and forcing vehicles to stop for hours just to pass through a flooded short stretch.
- Drainage problems remain unresolved, despite repeated promises from NLEx management.
- Drivers are left to suffer the consequences, wasting time, fuel, and resources—all while continuing to pay higher toll fees.
NLEx Must Take Actions
NLEx must take bold and decisive action. The rising toll fees must come with real improvements, not just incremental fixes that barely make a difference. The management must: 1. Prioritize the construction of an elevated highway from Balintawak to Bocaue to decongest the expressway. 2. Fix the broken RFID system and ensure its seamless functionality before pushing for full cashless implementation. 3. Implement a permanent solution to the Philippine Arena traffic nightmare, ensuring that regular motorists are not affected by event surges. 4. Enhance flood control measures to ensure that heavy rains do not turn NLEx into a water-logged trap. 5. Provide transparency on how toll fees are being used, so motorists can see real, tangible improvements in return for what they are paying.
It’s Time for Real Solutions
NLEx cannot continue with empty promises while continuing to raise toll fees. The congestion, delays, and inefficiencies must be addressed with meaningful, long-term solutions. Motorists are tired of waiting—tired of sitting in traffic, tired of missing important commitments, and tired of paying more while getting nothing in return.
It’s time for NLEx to deliver the expressway experience that people are paying for. If improvements do not come soon, NLEx risks becoming not just an inconvenience—but a national embarrassment.
