Cashless toll collection dry run to start Sept. 1

MANILA  -Tollway concessionaires are set to conduct a two-month dry run for contactless payments starting Sept. 1.

In a statement, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said the activity would “ascertain the readiness of the tollway concessionaires and operators for the smooth and efficient reimplementation of the contactless program.”

The Department of Transportation issued an order in 2020 requiring cashless transactions using RFID (radio frequency identification) stickers as it sought to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19. Due to complaints arising from glitches in the electronic toll collection system, however, the department later allowed vehicles with no RFID stickers and required cash lanes in all toll plazas.

Ahead of the dry run, the TRB had conducted special performance audits from February to June on 717 out of 852 operated toll lanes.

“Several toll plazas and toll lanes passed the 98-percent readability rate while some expressways passed the parameters on account management,” the TRB said.

Readability refers to the automatic detection of stickers while account management refers to accurate charging of toll fees, crediting of load to accounts and updating of account balance information.

The dry run will cover North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway, Cavite-Laguna Expressway, Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway-C5 Southlink.

It will also cover Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway, South Metro Manila Skyway Stages 1 and 2, South Luzon Expressway, Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway and Star Tollway. INQ