MPTC all set for ‘SMSK’ Motoring Assistance Program

MANILA, Philippines — In preparation for the annual, great exodus that happens every Holy Week, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) will be holding its usual ‘Safe Trip Mo, Sagot Ko’ (SMSK) motorist assistance program. The program aims to ensure smooth travels, especially during long holidays, by enhancing all the services offered in all 3 MPTC-owned expressways, namely: NLEX, SCTEX and CAVITEX.

“We are implementing a more extensive SMSK starting this Holy Week to further improve our services for safe and convenient travel to our motorists traveling between Metro Manila and Central and North Luzon provinces,” declared MPTC President and CEO Rodrigo Franco during a press conference held in Quezon City last week.

Beginning on March 23 and until April 2, NLEX-SCTEX traffic personnel will be working extra hours in order to properly accommodate the expected surge of vehicles, especially in the Balintawak, Mindanao Avenue, Bocaue, Sta. Ines, Tarlac, and Subic-Tipo toll plazas. There will also be intensified patrol coverage during this period, while incident response teams will also be on standby to assist motorists, should there be any need, at all interchanges and fuel stations within the coverage of the said expressways.

The SMSK will also provide 24-hour, free towing services for Class 1 vehicles to the nearest exit, during this peak season. And since vehicle volume is expected to spike during the rush hours of March 28-April 1, the Balintawak Toll Plaza will open 24 toll collection points (to expedite transactions), while the Mindanao and Tarlac toll plazas will open 10 and 29 toll collection points, respectively. For this purpose of increasing collection points, porta-booths will be installed and ambulant tellers will likewise be posted ahead.

Come April 1, the Bocaue Toll Plaza will already have a maximum of 62 toll collection points in operation, for Manila-bound vehicles.

Parallel to all of these, the CAVITEX will also reinforce its own set of contingencies by deploying more security personnel and patrol officers in its area, to help manage traffic and heed motorists’ needs, during this hectic time. All road works will also be suspended in the areas of NLEX-SCTEX and CAVITEX during the SMSK period, to discourage traffic buildup, unless of course, they are for safety repairs.

Furthermore, the MPTC and its partners shall set up SMSK Motorist Camps for this peak travel season, and shall likewise offer the public some useful services, such as free calls, free Wi-Fi, free drinking water, and even free basic mechanic services. First aid treatment shall also be made available in designated areas along these expressways.

And best of all, starting this year, the MPTC is expanding its coverage of SMSK to include not only the travel seasons of Holy Week, Undas and the Christmas holidays, but also our upcoming long weekends, namely: Araw ng Kagitingan (April 7-9); National Heroes Day (August 25-27); and Bonifacio Day (Novemeber 30-December 2)!