Both government officials and representatives of Luzon’s expressways assured that they are ready for the full implementation of cashless toll payments beginning December 1.

In a virtual presser on Wednesday, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Abraham Sales said the operators of the country’s expressways have given away a total of about 3.2 million radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers to motorists while almost 800 toll gates are ready for RFID use.

“Inaasahan po namin, with the full cooperation of the operators and pati na rin po yung mga motorista, magiging efficient po yung pag-iimplement po ng tinatawag na cashless and contactless toll collection (With the full cooperation of the operators and motorists, we expect the efficient implementation of cashless or contactless toll collection),” Sales said.

Meanwhile, Romulo Quimbo Jr., chief communication officer of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), said about 66.4 percent of motorists who passed through MPTC/EasyTrip expressways have used RFIDs as of November 17 compared to 31.9 percent in July this year.

“In terms of cash payers that we have to accommodate by December 1, we have a significant minority. We have gone beyond the tipping point in terms of RFID use,” Quimbo said.

As of Monday, he said the MPTC has installed a total of 1,523,991 EasyTrip RFID stickers, noting that almost a million stickers were installed since August 13, the day the Department of Transportation (DOTr) released its Department Order 2020-12 that required mandatory cashless transactions in all tollways.

Manuel Bonoan, president and chief executive officer of Skyway O&M Corporation, Manila Expressway System, and STAR Tollway Corporation, said the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) has given away about 1.7 million free AutoSweep RFID stickers since 2015, noting that RFID use in its tollways has climbed to about 77 percent from 46 percent before the Covid-19 pandemic.

DOTr Assistant Secretary Goddes Hope Libiran said motorists who fail to have an RFID installed in their vehicle beyond the December 1 deadline will be able to do so in all toll lanes at all times from December 1 to January 11. (PNA)

Photo Credit: www.pia.gov.ph