The incident has resulted to heavy traffic that saw a long line of vehicles waiting for their chance to cross the flood.
On Wednesday, September 2, the Malacañan Palace and the Department of Transportation announced that toll operator, NLEX Corporation, has waived fees for all vehicles along selected portions of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).
The move is said to be part of the government’s plant to assist motorists affected by heavy traffic caused by flooding in Pampanga following the onslaught of recent tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon (Habagat).
Along NLEX, that was primarily observed at the Tulaoc Bridge in San Simon, Pampanga, which caused many light vehicles to not proceed due to deep waters, with only bigger vehicles such as trucks being allowed to pass through.
In a statement, Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez told, “Nakausap ko po sina NLEX President Luis Reñon para matulungan ang ating mga motorista at mga pasahero na labis na naapektuhan nitong matinding traffic, alinsunod sa utos ng ating Pangulo.“
“Nagpapasalamat po tayo dahil agad din po silang tumugon sa ating hiling na magpatupad ng libreng toll hanggang sa maging maayos ang sitwasyon ng trapiko,” he added.
Lopez then announced that all vehicles traveling between Pulilan, Bulacan, and San Fernando, Pampanga, and vice versa, will be exempted from paying toll fees starting Wednesday.
“Magpapatuloy ang libreng toll fee hanggang sa bumalik sa normal ang sitwasyon sa NLEX,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Clarie Castro said during a Palace press briefing.
Regular toll fee Pulilan-San Fernando segment of NLEX are PHP113 for Class 1 vehicles, PHP281 for Class 2 and PHP338 for Class 3. Those will not be collected the situation normalizes along NLEX.
Transportation Secretary, meanwhile, thanked toll operators for continuing to provide free toll passage to provincial buses and vehicles transporting agricultural products under the administration’s Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) initiative.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) have since directed NLEX Corporation to provide food and drinking water, as well as setup portable toilets, to motorists stranded in heavy traffic.
Meanwhile, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. himself has noted during his inspection in Central Luzon that water levels in flood-affected areas along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) have started to subside.
“At mayroon kaming latest report sa NLEX naman na mukhang bumababa na ang tubig at ang northbound ay less than one hour na ang pagbiyahe,” he told. “Yung southbound lang ang medyo—kasi mas mababa talaga ‘yung southbound. Kailangan talagang—’pag binobomba natin ‘yung tubig, wala rin pupuntahan ‘yung tubig dahil mababa masyado at mataas na masyado ang tubig.”
The Chief Executive also emphasized that pumping water would not help, and that authorities are looking for possible solutions, while expressing optimism that the NLEX situation will improve soon.
“So, but dahan-dahan makikita natin na ‘yung NLEX ay nadadaanan na. Northbound is already 45 minutes daw na lang ang naging traffic. ‘Yung southbound na lang ang kailangan natin gawan ng paraan para madaanan nang mas mabuti, mabawasan ang tubig na,” he said.
