As traffic volume is expected to increase by 10 percent on All Souls’ and All Saints’ Days, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. has laid out its preparations to ensure the safety and convenience of motorists during the “Undas” exodus.
The MPTC, the holding company of North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, and Cavite Expressway, is implementing its “Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko: Undas 2019” program to enhance traffic management and toll collection services on the three expressways.
The SMSK Undas edition, which will run from Oct. 25 to Nov. 4, is MPTC’s motorist assistance program which aims to mitigate the expected surge in traffic volumes during holidays through enhancing all services among three MPTC-owned expressways.
In a press conference in Quezon City yesterday, NLEX Corporation Senior Vice President for Communication and Stakeholder Management Romulo Quimbo Jr. said that influx of passengers and motorists is expected to spike beginning Oct. 31 or earlier.
“We expect Thursday afternoon (Oct. 31) to be the start of the surge. If and when Oct. 31 is declared a holiday, the surge will start earlier. It will start possibly Wednesday afternoon,” Quimbo explained.
During the long break, MPTC officials said the volume of vehicles passing through the three major expressways is usually high by 15 percent, or at least 200,000 daily vehicle entries at Cavitex and up to 350,000 at NLEX and SCTEX.
In preparation for the anticipated increase in volume of vehicles during Undas, Quimbo said that NLEX-SCTEX traffic operations personnel will closely monitor the Balintawak, Mindanao Ave., Bocaue, Sta. Ines, Tarlac, and Tipo toll plazas during the entire duration of the program.
Additional patrol and incident response teams will also be fielded in strategic areas to immediately assist motorists while speed and lane management teams will be on heightened alert to enforce traffic discipline for road safety.
In a bid to shorten motorist waiting time, a maximum of 24 toll collection points will be opened at the Balintawak toll plaza beginning Oct. 26 to Nov.2, the period with the heaviest volume of motorists moving out of Metro Manila.
Mindanao Ave., Tarlac, and Tipo toll plazas will also open a maximum of 10, 15, and six toll collection points, respectively, to avoid traffic build-up during the mentioned peak periods. (Alexandria San Juan)
