NLEX Corporation became the first and only tollway company in the country to be ISO 39001 - certified.
The certification is awarded for effective road safety standards and initiatives, reducing fatalities and serious injuries from road accidents.
The tollway firm passed rigorous audits for ISO 39001:2012 Road Traffic Safety Management System (RTSMS).
Certifying body, DQS Holdings GmbH, commended NLEX Corporation for continuously maintaining and upgrading the NLEX-SCTEX, implementing comprehensive emergency response processes, crash investigation as well as proactive safety programs.
The company also complied with the United Nations’ Five Pillars for Road Safety that include road safety management, safer roads and mobility, safer vehicles, safer road users, and post-crash response.
Overall, the tollway firm was a trailblazer when it comes to the safety of its road networks, noted DQS Certification Philippines Inc. Managing Director Romeo Zamora.
“As with the other ISO management system standards, adopting the ISO 39001 will help the organization improve its performance. This will also contribute to the UN Global Plan on road safety aimed at reducing deaths and injuries brought by road crashes, and establishing safe transport for the public,” he elaborated.
Furthermore, the recognition would mean being more accountable to the company’s stakeholders, according to NLEX Corporation President and General Manager J. Luigi L. Bautista.
“We have achieved another milestone in the company’s history. This validates our commitment to make NLEX-SCTEX safe for road users. We will uphold these principles, processes, and practices as we adhere to the ISO 39001 standards,” he pledged.
The company's safety campaigns include the “Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko” motorist assistance program conducted during peak travel seasons to manage the holiday traffic surge, the Usapang Driver program which educates transport companies drivers about safe expressway driving; as well as the Kaligtasan sa Daan or KalSaDa road safety education program for host communities.
The tollway firm also uses communication channels like NLEXpress, a publication featuring road safety tips and company projects.
Recently, NLEX was recertified for ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001: 2018 for its integrated management systems (IMS) on quality, environment, and occupational health and safety.
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).