SMC tollroads going cashless

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is poised to go fully cashless across its tollroads starting October this year to fight the spread of the new coronavirus disease.

SMC is offering the free installation of RFID (radio-frequency identification) stickers, which allow the payment of toll fees without physical transactions.

This will be provided to all motorists using the Metro Manila Skyway, Naia Expressway (Naiax), South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollways), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx).

“We are committed to protecting motorists and our tollway operators and ensuring that everyone’s health is safeguar­ded by limiting personal contact and going 100 percent RFID on tollroads that we operate,” SMC president Ramon S. Ang said.

SMC said the first phase of this project covered the elevated section of the Skyway, Naiax and SLEx and would take effect starting Oct. 15 this year.

The second phase will cover the at-grade sections of the three tollways and include STAR Tollways in southern Luzon and TPLEx in northern Luzon starting January 2021.

As of June 11 this year, RFID installation areas in Skyway are: Bicutan CSC, C5 CSC Southbound, Petron Commerce Ave., Petron C5, Petron Dasmariñas, Petron Naiax, Shell Magallanes, C5 Toll Northbound, Naiax Main Toll Plaza A&B, Old Naiax-Drive Thru and Skyway Main Toll Plaza (northbound).

Motorists can avail of RFID stickers at these SLEx locations: Ayala Greenfield, Silangan CSC, Southwoods (northbound and southbound), Sta. Rosa (northbound), Cabuyao Toll Plaza (southbound), Susana Heights, Petron San Pedro, Shell Mamplasan, Shell Putatan, Petron Evia, Eton (northbound), Filinvest, and Mamplasan (northbound and southbound).

RFID applications are also accepted at STAR Tollways locations at Star Toll Lipa CSC, Petron Lipa and Petron Malvar. For TPLEx, motorists can go to Tarlac CSC; Petron Pura NB; Petron Pura SB; Carmen Toll Plaza; Pozorrubio Toll Plaza and Tarlac Toll Plaza.

The program was earlier recommended by the Toll Regulatory Board, through the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB). The LTFRB also directed all toll operators to give “free installation of RFID for vehicles using expressways, as a means to limit direct hand contact for toll payments and ensure social distancing.”