DOTr eyes unified toll payments in expressways

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and toll operators are set to sign within the month the agreement for unified toll collection systems to provide motorists a seamless travel experience.

In a statement yesterday, the DOTr said the toll collection interoperability agreement would be signed by stakeholders this month as Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) have held discussions with toll road firms operating the 13 expressways in Luzon.

Toll road firms part of the interoperability agreement include San Miguel Holdings Corp., Private Infra Development Corp., Skyway O&M Corp., South Luzon Tollways Corp., Vertex Tollways Development Inc., Star Infrastructure Development Corp., NLEX Corp., Tollways Management Corp., Citra Metro Manila Tollways Corp., Manila Toll Expressway Systems Inc., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., PEA Tollway Corp., MPCALA Holdings Inc., Ayala Corp., and MCX Tollway Inc.

Aside from the DOTr and TRB, other government agencies part of the agreement are the Department of Public Works and Highways, Land Transportation Office, and Bases Conversion and Development Authority.

Under the agreement, the toll road companies will be required to make adjustments to make toll collection systems interoperable and integrated.

The first phase of the interoperability agreement, which will take around six months, will cover electronic toll collection using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology.

The second phase, meanwhile, will take another six months and cover interoperability for cash payment collection.

Having unified toll collection systems means motorists can seamlessly use their electronic tag from one toll road operator in the toll road of another operator.

For those paying in cash, having unified toll collection systems means they only have to get a ticket once at the entry point, and pay once at the exit point, regardless of which toll road they enter and exit from.

For example, after completion of the North Luzon Expressway-South Luzon Expressway (NLEX-SLEX) connector road, a motorist will only have to get a ticket once at an NLEX entry, and pay once at the SLEX exit.

“Our expressways are managed by different companies. But they have always demonstrated that they are willing to work together and work with the government if that means giving motorists, their customers, a better travel experience,” Tugade said.