Effective March 15, 2025, a cashless collection system is set to be in place along major tollways, the state-run Toll Regulatory Board said on Sunday.
The TRB and tollway concessionaires said 97 percent of motorists are currently using radio frequency identification (RFID).
Tollway users need to have a valid Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) device or RFID sticker installed on their vehicles, they said.
ETC/RFID automatically activates and raises the toll barriers for passing vehicles bearing properly functioning stickers.
The cashless toll program was initially implemented sometime in December 2020, but was suspended due to several operational issues. It was also scheduled to take effect last year, only to be pushed back.
Through joint memorandum circular No. 2024-001 adopted by DOTr, TRB, and Land Transportation Office, penalties will be imposed on motorists passing through without ETC/RFID or with insufficient load balance.
The TRB, however, stressed that motor vehicles without valid RFID stickers will be allowed to enter the toll plaza and have an RFID sticker installed on the vehicle.
The Land Transportation Office through its deputized personnel will issue against the violator either a Temporary Operator’s Permit or Show Cause Order for violating the “No Valid ETC Device, No Entry” Policy under JMC.
Under JMC No. 2024-001, the penalty is P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for each subsequent offense.
For motorists with insufficient account balances, the penalty for a first offense is P500, P1,000 for the second offense, and P2,500 for each subsequent offense.
The use of fraudulent, tampered, or fake ETC devices and e-Cards upon entry or exit from the toll expressway will incur penalties: P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for subsequent offenses.
A motorist who commits the violation three times within 12 months may face confiscation of his driver’s license and suspension of car registration.
Meanwhile, in a joint statement on Saturday, toll concessionaires operating the country’s expressways threw their full support for the cashless toll collection policy.
They are: SMC Infrastructure, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp, MCX Tollway Inc., Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and its wholly owned subsidiary PEA Tollway Corp. (PEATC).
This policy plays a key role in easing traffic at toll plazas, improving safety and convenience for motorists, and optimizing expressway operations, they said.
