DOTr orders NLEX to suspend tolls after fatal overheight truck crash

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has ordered the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corp. to suspend toll collections at the Marilao northbound segment following a second deadly crash involving an overheight truck on Wednesday, June 18.

A container truck exceeded the maximum height allowance and collided with the Marilao Interchange Bridge for the second time in three months, resulting in one fatality and six injuries, including a two-year-old infant who was hit by the bridge girder.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed the DOTr and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to ensure that motorists and commuters will be compensated for lost time and exhaustion due to traffic caused by the incident.

NLEX Corporation has been directed to provide assistance to those injured, including the bereaved family of the 54-year-old man killed in the crash who was traveling with relatives to Baguio. The DOTr also instructed NLEX to waive toll collection if there is sustained heavy traffic after the bridge accident.

The company must submit a safety improvement plan within ten days for the entire northern highway and face potential sanctions if they fail to address the issue adequately, including administrative penalties such as suspension or modification of toll collection privileges.