Solons urge DOTR to implement integrated toll collection system

LAWMAKERS have filed a resolution urging the Department of Transportation (DOTR) and its attached agencies to fast track the implementation of Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Toll Interoperability Project.

The call is formally contained in House Resolution 159, which House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos, Valenzuela City Rep. Eric M. Martinez, Caloocan City Rep. Dean Asistio, Parañaque Rep. Edwin Olivarez, Cavite Rep. Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III and Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan, last August 2, 2022.

The lawmakers said the Toll Interoperability Project has been long been overdue, stressing further delay of its implementation is causing great inconvenience to the public, especially to those traveling in various toll expressways.

“Since 2017, the DOTR has been pushing for this project and had the good window of opportunity to roll-it out smoothly when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country. As part of the measures to prevent the spread of the virus, cashless or no contact transactions were required for all vehicles passing through toll expressways,” Martinez said.

Under the cashless toll collection scheme, which is actually the Phase 1 of the said project, motorists need to have their vehicles installed with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sticker that has sufficient preloaded amount so that every time they use the tollways, the necessary payment upon their exit will be electronically deducted.

Martinez said the DOTR moved the implementation of the mandatory cashless payments in all toll expressways from November 2, 2020 and later to January 11, 2021, to give motorists ample time in having RFID stickers installed in their vehicles.

However, he said, there are two major players on toll expressways.

The San Miguel Corporation (SMC) operates the Skyway, South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway, Tarlac-pangasinan-la Union Expressway (TPLEX), Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressways (NAIAX) and the Muntinlupa-cavite Expressway (MCX), and has its own Autosweep RFID.

Meanwhile, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) is using Easytrip RFID for its North

Luzon Expressway (Nlex), Subicclark-tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), C5 Southlink and Cavite-laguna Expressway (CALAX).

“That is why our private motor vehicle owners, operators of public transportations, including delivery vans or trucks have these two RFID stickers,” Martinez added.

He said that under the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement for the Toll Interoperability Program of the Dotr—which the agency signed with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), SMC, MPTC and the Ayala Group—the toll road companies are required to make adjustment in their systems that would allow integrated toll collection.

In calling for DOTR’S appropriate action on the matter, Martinez reminded that Phase 2 of the program would still allow the use of two RFID wallets containing sufficient amount of load for payments at specific toll plazas but shall have a single RFID sticker readable by sensors at different toll roads.

The last phase is the implementation of one RFID sticker only, maintaining one wallet for payment to all toll plazas.