SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga , Philippines – The number of vehicles plying the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) is expected to swell by 15 percent on Holy Wednesday and Maundy Thursday, but the Tollways Management Corp. (TMC) and the Central Luzon police are ready for contingencies.
TMC spokesman Benigno Valles said mechanics will render free services to motorists who will experience any mechanical trouble not only along NLEX, but also on the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).
Also free of charge are Internet access, telephone calls and even towing services, he said.
Valles said the TMC will not implement the proposed collection of expanded value-added tax (EVAT) on tollways during the Holy Week.
“It’s impossible to implement at this time when we are expecting heavy traffic volume,” he said, adding that the Toll Regulatory Board still has to approve it.
For his part, Chief Superintendent Arturo Cacdac, Central Luzon police director, appealed for the cooperation and patience of the public, as more mobile checkpoints will be set up in various parts of the region to ensure public order and safety.
The regional police launched “Oplan Bantay Lakbay” to ensure the peace and safety of travelers during the Holy Week, even as TMC said Petron is launching “Oplan Alalay” at three points along the SCTEX.
Cacdac said the public should expect “mandatory security checks in all vital installations.”
He directed all provincial and city police chiefs in Central Luzon “to proactively conduct special operations against criminal elements and execute preventive security measures to address possible hostile acts and ensure safety of places of convergence.”
Such operations, he said, would be “particularly visible at shopping malls and transport terminals.”
Cacdac said regular checkpoints of the police and the Commission on Elections will be maintained.
Valles said Smart Communications will provide free Internet services, free calls and mobile services in selected stations, while the Automobile Association of the Philippines will render free towing services for Class 1 vehicles from March 31 to April 4, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Honda Motors will provide free services of mechanics along SCTEX, while Nissan Motors will be stationed at Kilometer 62 along NLEX’s northbound point.
Foton Motors, for its part, will make available free mechanical services at the northbound Kilometer 32 and southbound Kilometer 36 of NLEX, Valles said.
Emergency medical services will be available from Aeromed Ambulance Transport Inc., he added.
For emergencies, Valles said motorists can call (02) 580-8911, the NLEX hotline (02) 35000 or the SCTEX hotline (02) 326-2246. – With Dino Balabo