Palace sorry for NLEX traffic

North Luzon Expressway. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang on Saturday apologized for the traffic gridlock encountered by motorists and commuters at the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) on Friday.

“We are apologizing for the heavy traffic that happened yesterday,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said on state-run dzRB radio.

Lacierda said there was a need to decongest the port of Manila to ease the traffic leading to the port.

“We really need to decongest and we really need to move all the empty containers so that there can be a space for…to place all the containers there,” he said, citing more imports are coming to the country especially this Christmas.

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chair Francis Tolentino blamed the gridlock on Friday on the heavy volume of cargo trucks getting their container vans out of the port premises.

Malacañang said it ordered truckers to move their container vans from the Port of Manila to the Port of Subic.

“That is what we are doing that is why many truckers are taking this time to really move out their empty containers and move them to Subic because there will be a fine imposed,” he said.

Lacierda said Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson was monitoring the traffic situation in NLEX.

As of Saturday noon, the NLEX traffic control room said traffic in all areas along the expressway was light.

On Friday, motorists experienced a nine-kilometer-long traffic jam (or from Meycauayan to Balintawak in Quezon City) on the southbound lane.

The heavy traffic forced some commuters to walk going to Balintawak in Quezon City.
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