SMC Infrastructure expects the holiday traffic "exodus" to peak this week and declared a toll holiday for Christmas and New Year.
The infrastructure arm of San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is once again waiving all toll fees at the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), as it traditionally does every year, announced SMC President Ramon S. Ang.
The "toll holiday" begins at 10:00 pm of Dec. 24 to 6:00 am of Dec. 25 and 10:00 pm of Dec. 31 to 6:00 am of Jan. 1.
As for this week's traffic surge, SMC Infra is deploying additional traffic management personnel at all its tollways to assist motorists, and manage the flow of vehicles at exit points.
This is in coordination with local police and the traffic bureaus of local government units.
“Traffic buildup and congestion at our expressways, ports, and airports is something we all expect at this time of the year, especially as restrictions have fully eased," noted Ang.
Hence, "We should plan our trips well ahead, and leave earlier to allot more time for travel, especially if you are catching a flight or scheduled bus trips," he advised.
Motorists should make sure their vehicles are in good condition and their electronic toll collection accounts are topped up, according to Ang.
SMC Infra is also deploying ambulant tellers to scan Autosweep cards along queues and speed up vehicle throughput at toll plazas.
On top of deploying additional personnel, SMC Infra's “Seamless Southern Tollways” initiative will cut down toll stops.
Motorists headed south via the Skyway System, SLEX, and STAR will now have two stops instead of five --their entry and exit points.
The initiative likewise turns the Calamba, SLEX Greenfield, and Sto. Tomas, Batangas toll plazas into pass-through lanes, reducing potential traffic chokepoints.
“We implemented the Seamless Southern Tollways on December 1, so that motorists can start feeling its benefits during the busy Christmas season," Ang pointed out. "So far, feedback on the initiative has been very positive.”
Furthermore, SMC Infra is keeping its Autosweep customer service centers and RFID installation kiosks at gasoline stations along SLEX open, for motorists who have not yet availed of their free ETC sticker tags.