HE Ferdinand R Marcos Jr, President of the Philippines, and his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos, visited Canberra yesterday on their first official visit to Australia. They are the first of several high office holders to visit the ACT this year. ACT Policing will facilitate those visits, and their motorcade officers would like all drivers to help them minimise disruption and maximise safety for all road users.  

“Planning for these visits takes many months and balances multiple factors including the itinerary of the guest, the security requirements, the motorcade size, the preferred routes, and the time of day,” an ACT Policing spokesperson said. 

“While planners will always seek to minimise the impact of a motorcade movement on road users, from time to time, there will be short delays.”

If road users encounter police managing a motorcade, police ask that they: 

• Be aware of their surroundings at all times;
• Obey the directions of police – especially at intersections;
• Be patient;
• Do not drive over median strips or perform illegal u-turns;
• Recognise that the delay will be for a short period only as the motorcade moves through.

ACT Policing will use its Road Policing X/Twitter account (@ACTPol_Traffic) to provide regular updates on expected motorcade activity.

“If you have an important appointment on a motorcade day, please consider your route or leave earlier – especially if it involves attending the airport, City, or Parliamentary precinct,” the police spokesperson said.