The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the government will no longer require free toll access on the Skyway during the planned rehabilitation of EDSA, expressing confidence that traffic disruption will be minimal.

Acting DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said this comes after the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) assured authorities that the phased rehabilitation will have a limited impact on traffic flow along the major thoroughfare.

Lopez recalled that Skyway management had earlier offered free toll access when the EDSA repair was initially targeted for midyear.

However, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. deferred the plan and ordered a review to ensure that the project would be implemented in a way that would least affect the public.

In preparation for the rehabilitation, the DOTr said public transport services will be reinforced, with 260 EDSA Carousel buses ready for deployment and 60 additional units on standby. Train operations of the MRT-3 are also set to be maximized, particularly during the Christmas season.

“Hindi lang natin kailangan yung coding, yung libreng toll sa mga skyway sapagkat gumagana ‘yong mga pampublikong sasakyan natin, mga busway natin at ang MRT-3,” Lopez said.

Lopez stressed that with the availability and reliability of public transportation, measures such as free Skyway tolls or expanded vehicle coding schemes are no longer necessary.

Phase 1 of the EDSA rehabilitation is scheduled to begin on December 24 and will run until May 2026.