Gird your loins and get ready for the 2023 edition of Holy Week on the road. It’s that time of year when the expressways become a test of patience and bladder control as motorists flock to the provinces for a much-needed break.
Metro Pacific Tollways (MPTC), the operator of NLEX-SCTEX (350,000 daily travelers), CAVITEX (160,000 daily travelers), and CALAX (34,000 daily travelers), expects an increase of 10-15% in traffic volume this year. Honestly we expected more.
In line with this surge, the MPTC will deploy over 1,500 traffic and toll lane management personnel to give possible assistance to motorists on the road this Holy Week. But the MPTC also suggests traveling during off-peak hours for a safer journey. We suggest just staying home, but that’s us.
“More than 1,000 NLEX-SCTEX; 500 CAVITEX, CAVITEX C5 Link and CALAX; and 68 CCLEX traffic and toll operations personnel including security and incident response teams will be deployed as early as March 31 to provide immediate assistance and ensure the safety of the public. Traffic management teams will continue to monitor high-volume plazas such as Balintawak, Mindanao, Bocaue, Tarlac, and Tipo in NLEX-SCTEX; Kawit and Parañaque in CAVITEX; and Biñan, Sta Rosa and Silang East in CALAX,” the MPTC added.
Down south the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway Corporation (CCLEC) is activating its first motorists assistance program this Holy Week, providing necessary services to ensure smooth travels for users of the beautiful Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX).
“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,” said MPTC president Rodrigo E. Franco.
In case the unfortunate happens, free towing service to the nearest exit will be available for Class 1 vehicles traversing the MPTC expressways from 6am of April 5 to 6am of April 11.
For RFID concerns, CCLEX’s Customer Service Centers (CSC) located on both sides near the Toll Plaza will remain open from 9am to 6pm except on April 7 (Good Friday) to cater to motorists’ CCLEX RFID installation and reloading needs. For a full list of Easytrip stations and their schedule, motorists may visit www.easytrip.ph/subscription or Easytrip’s official Facebook account (fb.com/easytripPH).
We guess that’s it. Stay safe!
