NLEX, SLEX hit by heavy traffic amid holiday rush

Long lines of vehicles crowded the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) as travelers scramble to get home to their provinces ahead of Christmas Day.

At the NLEX Balintawak Toll Plaza, traffic started building up at 3 p.m., Jun Veneracion reported on “24 Oras” on Friday. The situation worsened an hour later, with vehicles forming a 400-meter-long queues before the cash lanes by 4 p.m.

The toll management said they are expecting an average of 400,000 vehicles to pass through the NLEX and Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway during the holidays — 50,000 more vehicles than the daily average of 350,000.

Additional traffic marshalls, tellers, and other personnel were deployed to ensure smooth operations at the tollways.

“Mahigit isang libo po ang dini-deploy natin 'pag ganitong holiday season. Halos doble po 'yun ng normal deployment natin,” NLEX Traffic Operations Head Robin Ignacio said.

(We deployed over 1,000 personnel during the Holidays. That’s at least twice our normal deployment.)

Free towing services are also being offered to motorists, he added.

“Nag-implement na rin kami ng free towing para sa mga class 1 na sasakyan to the nearest exit. Umpisa po kaninang umaga, 6 a.m. hanggang December 26, 6 a.m. And then, January 1, 6 a.m. hanggang January 3, 6 a.m,” said Ignacio.

(We implemented a free towing service for class 1 vehicles to the nearest exit. It started this morning at 6 a.m. and will last until 6 a.m. on December 26. And then, January 1, 6 a.m. until January 3, 6 a.m.)

Traffic hit SLEX

Heavy traffic likewise started at the SLEX by 4 p.m., according to Chino Gaston’s report on “24 Oras”.

SMC Infrastructure, the tollway’s operator, said at least 350,000 vehicles used the road daily during the pre-pandemic period but they are expecting a surge in the daily vehicle average due to the Christmas rush.

“As expected, Christmas Season has really brought heavy, heavy traffic but we're asking the motorists to exercise a lot of patience," said SMC Infrastructure Chief Finance Officer Raoul Romulo.

"Let's compare na lang to pre-pandemic. For SLEX alone, around 370,000 cars per day, so you can imagine with all the activities going on now it's much more than the 370,000 a day.”

Romulo also advised motorists to have their RFID cards loaded and ready as they will deploy ambulant tellers who will scan the cards for faster transactions.

Toll fees at SLEX will be waived on December 24 and December 31 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day as part of the management’s Christmas gift to motorists. — Sundy Locus/DVM, GMA Integrated News