Tollway operators ready for holiday traffic buildup

MALOLOS, Bulacan, Philippines – The Tollways Management Corp. (TMC), operator of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), has put in place measures to accommodate the heavy traffic during the holiday season.

Francisco Dagohoy, media relations officer of TMC, said vehicle volume was expected to be heaviest last Wednesday and the traffic volume for the holidays seen to increase by at least 20 percent from its daily average of 190,000 vehicles.

Traffic buildup started early afternoon until late evening of Wednesday. On the other hand, the heavy volume of vehicles going back to Manila will be on the weekend starting Jan. 2, Dagohoy added.

He said the NLEX Toll Operations would beef up its manpower for the expected incoming traffic to Manila.

Ambulant tellers will be deployed at the Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue and Dau toll plazas to facilitate lane transactions.

Portable tollbooths and spare lanes will also be used to shorten queue of vehicles during peak periods.

The Bocaue toll plaza will also have ambulant tellers in anticipation of the heavy volume of vehicles returning to Manila.

In order to keep the road safe and traffic flow smooth, NLEX Traffic Operations will deploy additional enforcers and patrol vehicles in selected areas. Traffic personnel will extend working hours to accommodate the likely surge of vehicles.

The Bocaue toll exit is bracing for traffic buildup in the last week of December. Additional manpower will be deployed in the area to manage the traffic that began last Dec.18.

Roadworks are suspended from Dec. 11 to Jan. 4, Dagohoy said.

For motorists using the SCTEX, Dagohoy said the same level of service could be expected. Traffic buildup going to the provinces was expected at Tarlac, San Miguel and Tipo exits as early as Dec. 18.  

Dagohoy gave assurance the affected toll plazas would be adequately manned to address the influx of motorists.  

Heavy volume of Manila-bound motorists is expected on the afternoon of Jan. 2 and 3 at the Mabalacat toll plaza.

Motorists can expect sufficient number of personnel and equipment to shorten the queue at the plaza and maintain the best level of service possible. Manual tollbooths will be deployed to address the high volume of traffic.