Undas traffic volume along expressways 

While All Saint’s Day falls on a Sunday this year, with no long weekend in sight, traffic volume along expressways is still expected to increase as Filipinos head to the provinces to pay respects to their departed loved ones. 

 

Traffic data gathered by GMA News Research show that nearly 900,000 vehicles passed the seven expressways leading out of Metro Manila during last year’s commemoration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. 

 

The data also indicate that the number will go up this year. 

 

Undas traffic volume in Luzon’s busiest expressways—South Luzon Expressway and North Luzon Expressway—has been increasing for the past nine years. 

 

In SLEX, daily average volume within the Undas week nearly doubled from 141,884 in 2005 to 249,679 in 2014. On an ordinary day, 240,000 vehicles pass SLEX. 

 

On the other hand, NLEX traffic volume during the All Saints’ Day commemoration jumped 15 percent, from 168,750 to 193,649 during the same period.  Daily traffic in NLEX is 190,000.  

 

 

Francisco Dagohoy, media officer of Tollways Management Corp. that manages NLEX, SCTEX and CavitEx , said that Undas, along with Holy Week and Christmas season, are the periods when vehicle volume in expressways peaks.  

 

“Usually pinakamataas pa rin ang Holy Week volume. Undas falls on a regular weekend this year but we still expect a rise in traffic,” he said.  

 

For this year’s Undas, at least some 25,500 more vehicles daily are expected to pass NLEX, SCTEX and CavitEx. 

  

 

Toll operators expect travel going out of Metro Manila to peak on Saturday, October 31. 

 

Almost 900,000 in 7 expressways
 

Year-on-year Undas travel also increased from 2013 to 2014. During last year’s Undas commemoration, 865,741 vehicles passed seven expressways: SLEX, Skyway, NLEX, CavitEx, SCTEX, STAR and TPLEX. 

 

Nearby and within Metro Manila expressways showed the biggest jump in year-on-year Undas travel.  

 

The highest percentage increase was observed in CavitEx, which connects Metro Manila to the province of Cavite.  

 

In terms of actual number of vehicles, Skyway had the biggest increase–61,561 more vehicles plied the expressway during last year’s Undas. Skyway runs within Metro Manila, from Merville in Parañaque City to Alabang in Muntinlupa City. 

 

In SLEX, average daily traffic during Undas increased from 212,447 in 2013 to 249,976 in 2014. 

 

From an average of 173,000 in 2013, Undas traffic in NLEX increased to 193,649 in 2014.   

 

 

More vehicles registered 

The increase in traffic volume reflects the growing number of vehicles allowed to ply the roads.   

 

Data from the Land Transportation Office show that the annual number of registered vehicles has been increasing nationwide, especially in Metro Manila.  Nearly 1 in 3 vehicles are registered in the National Capital Region.  

 

 

New cars registered in Metro Manila doubled from 32,105 in 2005 to 67,098 in 2014. The biggest increase in the number of newly registered cars was from the period 2013 to 2014.  

 

— RSJ, GMA News