Marcos orders better traffic control during holidays
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday urged the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and NLEX Corp. to double their efforts to come up with traffic management strategies ahead of the expected influx of holiday travelers this month. At the inauguration of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Candaba Third Viaduct in Bulacan, he said the P7.8-billion […]
Moderator - Tomas Kauer 
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Tuesday urged the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and NLEX Corp. to double their efforts to come up with traffic management strategies ahead of the expected influx of holiday travelers this month.
At the inauguration of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Candaba Third Viaduct in Bulacan, he said the P7.8-billion bridge is expected to ease congestion and boost the transport of goods between Central Luzon and Metro Manila.
NLEX Corp., a unit of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), started building the five-kilometer viaduct in June last year that connects the towns of Pulilan, Bulacan and Apalit, Pampanga.
“As we enter the holiday season, a period marked by heightened activity and an influx of holiday travelers, this bridge becomes even more crucial,” Mr. Marcos said at the inauguration, based on a statement from the Presidential Communications Office.
“Let us prioritize swift response mechanisms and deploy well-coordinated traffic management strategies to address the ever-changing conditions and the increasing demands on our toll roads.”
The President in April ordered agencies to come up with a comprehensive approach to fix Metro Manila’s traffic crisis.
Traffic congestion in Metro Manila costs the Philippine economy at least P3.5 billion daily, according to the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
Mr. Marcos said the viaduct would ease traffic congestion and expand opportunities for trade and tourism.
“Let me assure everyone that the Department of Transportation and Toll Regulatory Board are implementing measures to ease congestion and to ensure smoother travel across this corridor,” he added.
MPTC is the tollway unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — J.V.D. Ordoñez
