MANILA, Philippines -- Homeward bound city dwellers are advised to avoid the Holy Week rush, particularly after office hours Wednesday when traffic is expected to be heaviest, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando said.

"The last day of the workweek is going to be very busy because people will be going to the bus terminals at the same time," Fernando said.

Better leave for the province in the evening when crowds at the bus terminals start to thin, the official said. Metro traffic is expected to be very smooth beginning Thursday until Saturday, he added.

Fernando also advised passengers to go to bus terminals other than those in Cubao, Quezon City, where most stations were located, and instead go to nearby terminals on North or Quezon Avenue.

The MMDA has temporarily allowed provincial bus operators to load passengers at the Central Terminal on Quezon Avenue, and other off-road stations on Santolan Avenue, P. Tuazon Avenue and North Avenue.

"The crush of people should not be so concentrated in Cubao, so we encourage the public to use other terminals," he said in a press conference Tuesday in his office.

He assured the public that the agency was prepared to cope with the holiday exodus, having mobilized 1,400 traffic enforcers and road emergency personnel in transport terminals, exit points and off-road stations.

Fernando said traffic enforcers and emergency responders were deployed to bus terminals in Cubao, the cities of Pasay and Manila, and the entire stretch of EDSA.

They were also deployed along exit points leading to provincial highways like the North and South Expressways, MacArthur Highway and Coastal Road, he said.

"Our men will work round-the-clock on three shifts, and we have cancelled their days-off," Fernando said.

He added that the MMDA's "nose-in, nose-out" policy, which required bus drivers to enter or leave the station "nose" first, instead of backing up, would be strictly enforced in bus terminals to ensure smooth traffic flow.

Fernando said motorists could call the MMDA Metrobase Hotline number 136 for road assistance. He also advised them to tune in to the agency's Traffic Radio 1206 for "real-time" traffic situationers.