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MANILA: In a virtual press conference held yesterday, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said that the government and highway operators are ready to transition to a 100% cashless toll collection scheme for transactions in squares toll for next month.
TRB CEO Abraham Sales (pictured below) explained: “We are 100% ready to implement cashless transactions. Ours is ready toll plazas … nearly 800 toll lanes it is done (Our toll plazas have been prepared … almost 800 toll lanes are ready) ”.
He added: “More than 3.2 million (vehicles) already have radio frequency identification (RFID) stickers. Installation capacity is 3,000 per day … but we see that we are ready for cashless payment by December 1st. We want this to be efficient to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “
The cashless toll collection plan follows Department Order No. (DO) 2020-012, which aims to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 through minimized physical interactions during payment.
Meanwhile, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Undersecretary for Communications and Traveler Affairs Goddess Hope Libiran (below) clarified that the December 1 deadline for full cashless payments is for toll road operators only, not so that motorists have their RFID tags installed on their vehicles.
Libiran also added that a “transition period” will be established from December 1, 2020 to January 11, 2021 for the installation of the RFID tag.
One second. Libiran explained: “Ang deadline po sa December 1st is for operators, It is not ultimatum to connect stickers motorists. Nothing will happen after December 1, 2020 to January 11, 2021. You can only give them ticket if they are some of the bad lane (The December 1 deadline is for operators, not an ultimatum for motorists to install their decals. They will not be penalized from December 1, 2020 to January 11, 2021. They will only be given a ticket if line up in the wrong lane) “.
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) also said there is no need for vehicle owners to worry if their vehicles will not be installed with RFID stickers until January 11, 2021.
The DOTr also explained that the installation of RFID in the toll booths and lanes will remain 24/7 until January 11, even if the toll roads go fully digital without effective December 2020. After January 11, not all toll lanes will convert to sticky lanes. There will be only one or two designated sticker lanes or there will be an installation tent before entering the toll gate where RFID stickers can be installed on vehicles.
In addition, DOTr Atty’s Assistant Secretary for Transportation and Road Infrastructure. Mark Steven Pastor (below) shared that these are all part of the government’s efforts to provide a more efficient means of transportation for Filipinos amid the pandemic.
He said: “DOTr strikes a balance between providing transportation and ensuring safety. There will be initial drawbacks, but it will have a long-term effect. “
Both the Easytrip and Autosweep systems, which represent the highways that are linked to Metro Manila, are ready to go completely contactless on December 1.
Grupo San Miguel for Skyway, Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), NAIA Expressway (NAIAx), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), STAR Tollway and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) also launched Automatic Sweep Labels.
The Easytrip system includes the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx), C5 Southlink, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx) and North Luzon Expressway (NLEx).
Under the first stage of the government’s Toll Collection Interoperability Project, Autosweep labels will be readable with the Easytrip System.
As for the second stage, it will allow the Easytrip RFID tags to be readable in the Autosweep system.
Meanwhile, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) Senior Vice President of Communication and Stakeholder Management, Junjie Quimbo, explained that the company has already installed 1.5 million RFID stickers and that it only requires installation on 250,000 more vehicles to meet the 100% target.
MPTC is the parent company of CAVITEX, CALAXX, SCTEX and NLEX.
Quimbo said: “For motorists who do not have time, we will continue to install RFID stickers without an appointment … We will continue to install stickers beyond the December deadline.”
According to Skyway O&M Corp. (SOMCO) President Manuel Bonoan, the company has already installed 1.7 million RFID stickers to date.
Bonoan said: “You can count on him whenever you want to use our toll roads, we have people which can help you paste and load (Rest assured, whenever you want to use our toll roads, we have people who can help you paste and load). “
Screenshots of Prim Lamaroza
Also read: Time Saving Through ORRAS: RFID Adhesive Appointments Will Be Possible Soon
