Tollways prepare for influx of vehicles during Holy Week exodus –TRB

Toll operators are now preparing for the anticipated influx of vehicles on expressways during the observation of the Holy Week, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said on Tuesday.

TRB spokesperson Julius Corpuz told Unang Balita in an interview that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) directed the agency to lay out its preparation for the Holy Week.

“Ang hangarin po nating diyan ay mabigyan ng ligtas at komportable at maayos na paglalakbay ‘yung ating mga motorista dito sa parating na Semana Santa kung saan inaasahan natin marami po sa ating motorista ang dadaan sa ating mga kalsada papalabas at papasok ng Metro Manila,” he said.

(Our objective is to give our motorists a safe, comfortable, and smooth travel during the upcoming Holy Week where we expect many motorists will use our roads going to and out of Metro Manila.)

According to Corpuz, they are expecting to have the peak number of motorists on Holy Wednesday. 

More traffic signages will be displayed and additional ambulant tellers, enforcers, patrol officers, as well as security guards, will be deployed at entry and exit points of expressways, he added.

To avoid accidents, Corpuz said engineering interventions like barriers will be set up to prevent motorists from counterflowing.

The Holy Week this year will begin next week from March 24 to 30 and will be succeeded by Easter Sunday on March 31. 

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Monday said it is finalizing the security measures that will be imposed for the observance of the Holy Week.

“Iyon pong security preparations para po sa Oplan Semana Santa ay it is already in its final stage. We expect bago matapos ang linggong ito ay ilalatag na po natin ang ating seguridad,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo said.

(The security preparations for Oplan Semana Santa are already in its final stage. We expect that before the end of this week we will be able to implement the security measures.)

The PNP will initially deploy 34,000 police personnel across the country to terminals, airports, and seaports, but the number will be increased if needed, according to Fajardo.

Around 7,000 police personnel will guard major tourist destinations nationwide, she added. —KBK, GMA Integrated News