The Tollways Management Corp., operator of the North Luzon Expressway, said it has started using portable speed guns to catch motorists who go over the 100 kph speed limit.

Anthony Mabasa, TMC president and CEO, in a presentation on expressways safety, told the 4th Road Safety Conference organized by the Automobile Association Philippines and Toyota that overspeeding is the main problem that make the new NLEX unsafe.

"The Manila North Tollways Corp. has turned the NLEX into a world-class highway. The problem now is because of the good quality of the road, many motorists tend to drive over the limit," he said.

Mabasa noted that the biggest violators of the speed limit are those driving expensive sports cars who take advantage of the automated Easy Tag lane to avoid being stopped at the end of the expressway.

"Our record holder is a white Porsche which our speed gun caught doing 199 kph," he said. "Unfortunately, the car managed to elude us by passing through the Easy Tag lane."

Mabasa said they are now developing a system that would prevent speedsters from escaping through the automated lane. He said they would soon announce the system to warn drivers of the harsh penalties for overspeeding.

The NLEX has also begun an anti-overloading operation last year in a bid to preserve its US0 million investment on the road as well as the bridges that connect the towns of Bulacan and Pampanga. Overloaded trucks, usually carrying sand from Mount Pinatubo, comprised the majority of those apprehended.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Construction Corp. (PNCC) is readying plans to ease the effects of the soon-to-be-started construction of the South Luzon Expressway extension in Laguna that would link it with the STAR tollway in Batangas.

Abraham Purugganan, PNCC executive vice president and chief operating officer, said their plan is to disperse vehicles to prevent clogging at the south end of the expressway where the construction will be done.

The construction is a joint venture of PNCC and the government of Malaysia and will done in 24 months.

The Road Safety Conference is a series of meetings that gather top officials from government and private sectors to discuss issues affecting safety on the road. It is an advocacy of the AAP, the oldest and most respected automobile club in the country, and industry leader Toyota Motor Philippines.

In yesterday’s conference, the AAP also had a soft launch of its newest advocacy dubbed "Think Before You Drive." Initiated by the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) Foundation in Switzerland, the "Think Before You Drive" seeks to promote road safety by reminding drivers to wear seatbelts and check their tire pressure before driving.