The Manila Times
MANILA, Philippines — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) reminded motorists traveling this Holy Week to inspect their vehicles before heading out and to keep emergency and roadside assistance hotlines ready, as authorities brace for heavier movement on major roads and expressways. In an advisory released Wednesday, the MMDA urged the public to do a “BLOWBAGETS” check before travel, covering battery, lights, oil, water, brakes, air, gas, engine, tires and self. The agency said motorists should make sure their vehicles were in good running condition and continue following traffic rules to help keep trips safe during the Holy Week. MPTC said it had rolled out its “Biyaheng Arangkada” motorist assistance program from March 27 to April 6 across NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, CAVITEX, CALAX and CCLEX in Cebu. It said personnel deployment had been increased across its network to improve traffic management, incident response and toll operations during the holiday rush. The tollway operator said roadside assistance stations had been strategically positioned, medical teams were on standby at select stops, and free 24/7 basic mechanical services were available at all NLEX and SCTEX Rest and Refuel stations. It added that free towing to the nearest exit for Class 1 vehicles would be available from 6 a.m. on March 27 until 6 a.m. on April 6. MPTC also said roadworks, lane closures and maintenance activities would be suspended during the period to help keep traffic moving, while teams were ready to activate counterflow schemes when conditions permit. It advised motorists to plan trips ahead of peak hours and said heavy northbound traffic was expected on NLEX from Wednesday afternoon to Thursday afternoon. Motorists needing traffic assistance in Metro Manila may call the MMDA hotline 136, which remains the agency’s main contact line for road and traffic concerns. For urgent emergencies such as crashes or incidents needing immediate response, travelers may call the national emergency hotline 911. Those needing to report road concerns to the Department of Public Works and Highways may contact 165-02 or 0961-684-7084, which are listed on the agency’s official contact page. Motorists traveling through NLEX, SCTEX, NLEX Connector, CAVITEX, CALAX and other MPTC-managed expressways may call 1-35000, which the company said was available 24/7 along with updates through the MPT DriveHub app. Users of SLEX, Skyway, STAR, NAIAX and TPLEX who have RFID or toll account concerns may also contact Autosweep customer care at (+632) 5318-TOLL (8655). For health-related emergencies, the public may also call the Philippine Red Cross hotline 143, which the organization lists as its emergency hotline on its official contact page.
Go to News Site