Toll operators criticized for traffic jams on motorways

SLOW LANES Motorists endure traffic along the North Luzon Expressway on December 1, as cashless transactions are implemented there for the first time. —CHILD JESUS ​​ORBETA

MANILA, Philippines – Toll operators may lose their concession contract with the government unless they fix flaws in the implementation of mandatory cashless payment on highways, which have led to massive traffic jams over the past week, a senator warned Sunday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian called for a review of the agreement between the government and Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and San Miguel Corp. Tollways, urging the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx) and South Luzon Expressway (SLEx) operators to act. together.

In a statement, Gatchalian said he would present a motion for a resolution within the week requesting a Senate investigation into “issues of non-compliance and other possible violations” in the implementation of the radio frequency identification (RFID) program.

Gatchalian criticized the two toll operators for failing to repair malfunctioning RFID sensors at toll plazas before the December 1 deadline for cash transactions, which had contributed to bottlenecks on the highways.

The senator cited several complaints of faulty sensors that were unable to detect RFID tags on vehicles using the NLEx interchange heading to the city of Valenzuela.

“Obviously it’s the [responsibility] of toll operators to make sure the RFID sensors are working and can read each and every sticker on cars that pass through it because otherwise what good is this kind of technology if it doesn’t serve its purpose? he said.

Regulator

Gatchalian also attacked the Tolls Regulatory Board (TRB), which regulates the operation and maintenance of toll facilities, for “not lifting a finger in the wake of numerous complaints from motorists about long lines and traffic congestion.”

According to the implementing regulations signed by the TRB, toll operators are obliged to “guarantee at all times the efficient operation and maintenance of the toll collection facility,” according to the senator.

“It is an absolute show of insensitivity to the difficult situation of motorists who, due to technical failures and the apparent inaction of the concerned authorities, are trapped in traffic for hours,” said Gatchalian.

“It is in all the news that obstacles in the installation of RFID stickers before and especially on the day of the start of the cashless toll collection resulted in a large volume of cars along the freeways. This has been going on for several days, ”he said.

“Was there any clear signal or action from stakeholders to resolve this monstrous bottleneck? None, ”Gatchalian said.

“The public hopes to take [its] the authorities, but obviously nobody is taking the initiative, “he added.

“Toll road operators have the temerity to demand rates from the public without any appropriate service. It’s deplorable to say the least, ”the senator said.

“I see the need for a cashless toll collection system on highways, especially at this time when we have yet to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19),” he said.

“But we can’t just sit back and allow drivers to get stuck in traffic. The lost time cannot be made up ”, added the senator.

Billions of pesos are lost due to traffic congestion, Gatchalian said, citing the 2017 survey by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), which found that the traffic problem in Metro Manila costs P3.5 billion. in missed opportunities per day.

That Jica study projected that amount would skyrocket to P5.4 billion a day by 2035 if no interventions were made.

Stop deployment

Gatchalian issued the stern warning one day after his brothers, Valenzuela City Representative Wes Gatchalian and Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian, issued a similar ultimatum, both of whom complained of RFID failures to and from the NLEx cabins in your city.

Valenzuela’s representative urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) on Saturday to halt the implementation of the cashless toll collection system until operators resolve the flaws in their RFID systems.

The mayor, on the other hand, threatened to suspend NLEx Corp.’s business permit for its “RFID fiasco.”

On December 1, the government implemented mandatory cashless transactions on highways, but allowed dedicated lanes for the installation of RFID tags on vehicles that did not already have them. Motorists will not be detained for not having license plates until mid-January.

Earlier, Senators Grace Poe and Nancy Binay asked the Department of Transportation to consider extending the period of time that motorists could use the highways without RFID tags, considering the large number of people who had not yet complied. –DO DJ INQ

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