Toll-free access has been implemented for marked government vehicles mobilized for relief and recovery operations in areas affected by Typhoon Uwan, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure the unimpeded movement of responders across Luzon, according to San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
SMC Chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said the company’s toll operations teams are coordinating closely with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to facilitate the implementation of the President’s order.
“Our priority is to make sure responders get to affected communities as quickly as possible,” Ang said.
“We have always worked with government in times of calamity. It’s part of our responsibility to help and to make sure aid reaches those who need it,” he added.
The initiative is being carried out by the company’s infrastructure arm, which maintains a network of major expressway across Luzon. Tollway personnel have been deployed to assist emergency convoys and ensure their safe and unimpeded passage, according to SMC.
SMC Infrastructure manages more than 200 kilometers of expressways in Luzon, including the Skyway System, South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), STAR Tollway, Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEX), and NAIA Expressway.
Ahead of Typhoon Uwan’s landfall, maintenance crews were mobilized to inspect and clear drainage systems, secure roadside signage and billboards, and preposition quick-response teams and heavy equipment in flood-prone areas to keep expressways passable, according to SMC.
Motorists are advised to observe traffic rules and speed limits at all times, and to exercise extra caution when driving in inclement weather.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, SMC waived over P230 million in toll fees for medical frontliners across all its expressways.
