10% surge in traffic volume expected during Undas

MANILA, Philippines — The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) is reactivating its “Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko” (SMSK) motorist assistance program ahead of the expected 10 percent increase in traffic volume on the expressways on All Saints’ Day.

The MPTC said that from Oct. 25 to Nov. 4, traffic operations personnel of North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) will closely monitor and manage the anticipated influx of motorists in Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, Sta. Ines, Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas. 

Additional patrol and incident response teams will be fielded in strategic areas to immediately assist motorists, while speed and lane management teams will also be on heightened alert to enforce traffic discipline for road safety.

During the peak periods of Oct. 26, 27, 28, 30, 31 and Nov. 1 and 2, the Balintawak toll plaza will open a maximum of 24 toll collection points while Mindanao Avenue, Tarlac and Tipo toll plazas will open a maximum of 10, 15 and six toll collection points, respectively, to lessen motorists’ waiting time at the toll plazas. 

From Nov. 1 to 4, the Bocaue toll barrier will have a maximum of 55 collection points for Manila-bound motorists. Toll tellers at the Tarlac toll plaza will be ready to issue pre-encoded transit tickets to motorists for faster transactions. 

During the same period, Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) will deploy more patrol teams to manage traffic and assist motorists. 

The MPTC pointed out the average daily vehicle entries for the NLEX, SCTEX and CAVITEX rose eight percent in the first half to 518,678 from 480,793 in the same period last year. ?In preparation for the expected 10 percent increase in traffic volume this “Undas” season, MPTC said ongoing traffic improvement initiatives as well as major expansion and enhancement projects for NLEX, SCTEX and CAVITEX are being undertaken to handle higher traffic volume and ensure motorists and commuters with faster and safer travels.?“Enabling mobility and ensuring motorist convenience and safety have always been the focus of our MPTC operations during these times. As always, we want to stay true to our commitment to promote road safety and ensure a world-class experience of motorists in using our expressways,” MPTC chief financial officer Christopher Lizo said.

Meanwhile, construction along the mainline road at the NLEX-SCTEX-CAVITEX will be suspended from Oct. 24 until Nov. 4 at 9 a.m., unless safety repairs are necessary.

MPTC and its partners will also set up SMSK motorist camps and provide free calls, WiFi, drinking water, basic mechanic services and first aid treatment at designated locations along the expressways. 

The SMSK will also offer 24-hour free towing services to the nearest exit for Class 1 vehicles from Oct. 30, 6 a.m. to Nov. 4, 6 a.m.

Toll officials said real-time traffic situation will be posted on the Facebook accounts of NLEX Corp. and CAVITEX from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4. 

Hotlines (NLEX-SCTEX:1-35000; CAVITEX:165-8888; CAVITEX C5 LINK: 1-5000) will likewise be ready to address customer concerns.

The police, on the other hand, will be securing Metro Manila during the three-day weekend observance of All Saints’ Day. – With Ramon Efren Lazaro, Non Alquitran