Metro Pacific Tollways gears up for Holy Week rush

MANILA: This Holy Week, over 1,500 traffic and toll lane management personnel are stationed throughout the road network of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) to guarantee that motorists are assisted as they travel to the provinces.

MPTC advises motorists to avoid traveling during peak hours for a smoother expressway experience.

MPTC has stepped up operations in anticipation of a 10% to 15% increase in traffic volume along its high-speed road networks, from an average of 350,000 daily travelers on NLEX-SCTEX, 160,000 on the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex), 16,000 on the Cavitex C5 Link, and 34,000 on the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

To provide immediate assistance and guarantee the public's safety, more than 1,000 NLEX-SCTEX; 500 Cavitex, Cavitex C5 Link, and CALAX; and 68 Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) traffic and toll operations personnel, including security and incident response teams, were deployed as early as March 31.

High-traffic plazas including Balintawak, Mindanao, Bocaue, Tarlac, and Tipo in NLEX-SCTEX; Kawit and Parañaque in Cavitex; and Biñan, Sta Rosa, and Silang East in CALAX will continue to be monitored by traffic management teams.

From April 5 to 11, MPTC expressways will put their operations on high alert and relaunch the Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko (SMSK) motorist assistance program in an effort to make driving convenient and stress-free. SMSK, now in its 14th year, aims to boost expressway services over holidays for the benefit of the motorists.

The CCLEX Corporation (CCLEC) has launched its first motorist assistance program this Holy Week, offering essential services to ensure hassle-free trips along the 8.9km expressway.

“We are reminding our motorists to plan their trips and avoid the rush hours. The influx of travelers is anticipated starting in the afternoon of Holy Wednesday until the afternoon of Maundy Thursday, as well as in the afternoon to evening of Black Saturday, Easter Sunday, and the Monday after Easter,” MPTC President Rodrigo Franco stated. “While the company continues its initiatives to boost expressway safety and convenience, it is also important for motorists to observe traffic discipline and practice safety.”

The public may now access the Caloocan-España section of the NLEX Connector. The new expressway offers an alternative route for motorists traveling between Metro Manila and provinces in North and Central Luzon.

Moreover, emergency medical services are available in key locations along the expressways. The 24/7 hotline 1-35000 is also fully manned to respond to motorists' concerns.

The NLEX management also suspended lane closures and mainline road work during the SMSK period for uninterrupted travels. More signage and enhanced pavement markings are also installed to better direct traffic. If traffic is congested between NLEX and SCTEX Tarlac and vice versa, motorists may enter or exit at NLEX Sta. Ines and SCTEX Concepcion.

Road works along CCLEX will also be suspended on April 6 (Maundy Thursday) and April 7 (Good Friday).

Motorists are advised to check the traffic advisories that are regularly provided on the official Facebook and Twitter pages of NLEX Corporation, Cavitex, and CALAX, as well as through the MPT DriveHub mobile application. Motorists along NLEX-SCTEX may tune in to DWRW 95.1 FM and UFM 105.5 for traffic updates.

MPTC also provides free towing service to the nearest exit for Class 1 vehicles travelling on its expressways until April 11 at 6 a.m.

The Customer Service Centers (CSC) along CCLEX, which are situated on both sides near to the Toll Plaza, will remain open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. except on April 7 (Good Friday) for RFID installation and reloading.

“We always encourage our motorists to avail of the free Easytrip RFID and ensure sufficient load balance in their Easytrip RFID for smoother travel. This makes toll transactions quicker, more efficient, helping reduce traffic congestion especially now that we are almost at the pre-pandemic level and more cars are seen traversing the roads,” Franco said.

Easytrip RFID can now be used on all toll expressways in Luzon. To use Easytrip RFID on non-MPTC toll roads, motorists only need to register it with Autosweep.

Motorists can also reload their RFID and check the balance on the MPT DriveHub app that can be downloaded on iOS and Android devices. Some of the features of MPT DriveHub app include passage tracking, toll fee calculation, and traffic condition monitoring.

Also, MPTC encourages travelers to take advantage of the long weekend to visit the tourist destinations in the North and South that are easily reachable via MPTC toll expressways.

SMSK is co-presented by PLDT and Smart and supported byCaltex, Gardenia, Prestone, and Wilcon.

MPTC is the toll road development arm of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC). MPTC owns the concessions for NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, Cavitex, Cavitex C5 Link, CALAX, and CCLEX.

Photos from Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, Metro Pacific Tollways South, Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway Facebook page, and NLEX Corporation

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