San Miguel Corporation’s infrastructure
unit is gearing up for possible heavy traffic buildup
along its major expressways starting October 27,
Friday evening through
the extended weekend, in
anticipation of the mass
exodus of Filipinos to provinces for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang
Kabataan Elections, and
the “Undas” holidays.
SMC Infrastructure advised motorists to
plan their trips ahead of
the upcoming extended
holidays, and to anticipate
heavier vehicle volumes
along its tollways, the
South Luzon Expressway,
(SLEX), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR),
the Skyway System, NAIA
Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union
Expressway (TPLEX).
This, as government declared Oct. 30 a
special non-working day
for the elections, and with
Nov. 1 and 2 being the traditional observance of All
Saints’ and All Souls’ days.
“This is in anticipation of heavy traffic volume, particularly motorists heading out of Metro
Manila. In support of the
Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) ‘Oplan Biyaheng Ayos’, which aims
to provide our countrymen
smooth and safe travels,
SMC Infrastructure is putting in place a multitude
of mitigating measures to
help make motorists’ journeys more manageable
and safe,” the company
said in a statement.
“We have coordinated our traffic management plans with the Toll
Regulatory Board, local
government units, the police, the Land Transportation Office and other agencies. Emergency services
such as fire trucks, ambulances, and towing trucks
have also been readied
and are on standby to provide immediate assistance
to distressed motorists,”
the company added.
All roadworks
and related activities that
could contribute to traffic
flow in expressways, toll
plazas, and exits, will also
be suspended starting
noon of Oct. 27 and will resume at 10:00PM of Nov.
5, it further said.
The company is
also mobilizing additional
patrollers and toll personnel at exits and toll plazas
where traffic is expected to
be heavy.
To further minimize possible causes of
delays at the tollways,
SMC Infrastructure reminds motorists to make
sure their Autosweep
accounts have sufficient
load, and to have their
cards ready in their vehicles should these be
needed.
The company
also cited other ways motorists can contribute to
faster, safer travel along
the expressways. These
include avoiding tailgating
at exit lanes so RFID readers can scan vehicle tags
properly; ensuring vehicles are roadworthy before travelling, observing
all traffic rules especially
speed limits, and wearing
of seatbelts at all times.
The company
also said that motorists
who might encounter
emergencies or vehicle
trouble can stop and use
lay-bys or seek assistance
at selected Petron stations.
Distressed motorists could call the following hotlines should
they need assistance at
the expressways:
o SLEX Hotline:
09176877539
o TPLEX Hotline:
09178880715
o STAR Hotlines: 09175117827 / 043-
7567870
o Skyway Hotline: 02-5318865
