Nlex Corp. is beefing up its initiatives to accommodate the expected surge in traffic volume during the Christmas and New Year holidays, with average daily vehicles seen increasing by as much as 12 percent this year.
Through its annual Safe Trip Mo Sagot Ko program, Nlex Corp. will be providing assistance to motorists that will travel through the North Luzon Expressway (Nlex) and the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (Sctex).
“As of November 2020, Nlex-Sctex traffic is at 288,000. This is lower by 25 to 30 percent compared last year. This holiday season, we expect 10 to 12 percent increase on the last working day before Christmas and on December 26 and 27,” said Nlex Corp. President Luigi L. Bautista said.
He said the company is intensifying its customer facing services to help shorten the travel time of motorists.
From December 18 to January 4, 2021, Nlex will beef up its operations to further provide convenient and safe travel to motorists. Traffic monitoring teams will closely monitor high volume toll plazas such as Balintawak, Mindanao, Karuhatan, Bocaue, San Fernando, Clark South, Tarlac and Tipo.
Bautista said his group will deploy close to 1,200 patrol crews, traffic marshals, security teams, and RFID Assist Squads at strategic areas of the expressway to ensure safety and provide immediate assistance to motorists.
Speed and lane management teams will likewise be on alert to enforce traffic discipline, he added.
Nlex Corp. is also deploying medical and incident response teams during the traffic surge.
The expressway operator has suspended construction works and lane closures along the main line to mitigate possible congestion. It is offering a 24-hour free towing service for Class 1 vehicles on December 26 and 27, as well as January 2 and 3.