Brace for ‘busiest’ Lent exodus

The coming Lenten break will likely be the busiest in many years in terms of the number of people hieing off to vacations, prompting transportation and security officials to step up preparations on an unprecedented scale.

“Every year, our population grows, 120,000 new cars are sold (locally), and airlines increase their capacity. And since the vacation will be a five-day stretch, I think it’s a reasonable projection that this would be the busiest Holy Week in the country’s history,” Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II said on Tuesday.

He said the DOTC and its attached agencies expect to see record numbers of land, air, and sea passengers starting on the night of Holy Wednesday on April 4 to Bataan Day on Monday, April 9.

More Bicol Express cars

The Philippine National Railways (PNR), which operates two trains on the Manila-Bicol route, said it would increase the number of train cars for each trip to handle additional demand.

“As early as this week, we are readying our Bicol Express trains and facilities in preparation for the long weekend during the Lenten season and to ensure safe, sufficient and convenient journey for travellers going to and from the province,” PNR General Manager Junio Ragragrio said.

Toll Regulatory Board chief Edmund Reyes said the number of cars on the country’s six toll roads, which are all in Luzon, is expected to rise to about one million per day during Holy Week, from 800,000 last year.

Reyes said the TRB has partnered with various toll operators and other establishments to provide special services to motorists, such as automotive repair centers and free wireless Internet connections.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) made a similar forecast, saying applications for special bus permits for the Holy Week break have reached 857 as of Monday, exceeding the 600 permits approved for the same period last year.

Special permits allow buses to operate outside their regular routes and give operators the flexibility to field vehicles where demand is highest.

The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) said it expects passengers at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) to rise by at least 25 percent year-on-year to an average of 65,000 passengers per day.

“We are focusing on three major areas: Improving traffic at roads going to airports, streamlining the processing of passengers, and improving turnaround times of airlines,” MIAA General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said.

He said congestion at Naia could be kept at a minimum if passengers can be moved in and out of their flights as quickly as possible.

For shipping, the DOTC said passenger traffic at several seaports is expected to double during Holy Week.

Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) spokesperson Nick Conti warned shipping companies against overloading, saying the Coast Guard will strictly enforce restrictions.

Converted fishing boats

Conti also called on passengers not to get on “colorum” or unregistered vessels which did not undergo the Marina inspections for seaworthiness, or on fishing boats that have been converted into passenger vessels.

The police, fire department and jail bureau will be on full alert during the long vacation period, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo said on Tuesday.

Robredo said the police should be on the lookout particularly for so-called akyat bahay or burglary gangs and pickpockets at crowded bus terminals and resorts. With reports from Tina Santos