The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has directed tollway concessionaires Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and SMC Infrastructure, a unit of San Miguel Corp., to conduct a two-month dry run of the contactless program on select toll plazas starting September.
This is in line with TRB’s compliance to the resolution passed by the House of Representatives’ committee on transportation calling for the re-implementation of the contactless program.
The dry run is a necessary procedure to ascertain the readiness of the tollway operators for the smooth and efficient re-implementation of the program.
It would be recalled that the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued an order on Aug. 13, 2020, requiring cashless or contactless transactions of all vehicles traveling on toll expressways.
However, there were numerous complaints during the implementation of the program back in November 2020 brought about by various constraints and glitches in the electronic toll collection (ETC) systems. Thus, the DOTr deferred the full implementation of cashless payment and still required cash lanes in all toll plazas.
Based on TRB’s performance audits from February 23 to June 22, 2023, a total of 717 out of 852 toll lanes were assessed while the remaining 135 toll lanes or 16 percent are currently being operated as cash lanes and will be tested once converted to ETC lanes.
Several toll plazas and lanes passed the 98 percent readability rate while some expressways passed the parameters on account management.
Based on the results, the TRB’s audit team recommended that a two-month dry run be conducted on selected qualified toll plazas. This was approved by the multi-agency members of the TRB in its regular meeting last July 28.
The two-month dry run will be implemented in select toll plazas, including North Luzon, Subic-Clark-Tarlac and Cavite-Laguna expressways.
For Autosweep users, NAIA Expressway, South Metro Manila Skyway Stages 1 and 2, Skyway Elevated, South Luzon Expressway, Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway, Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway and the STAR Tollway will take part in the dry run.
As agreed between the TRB and toll operators, the first batch of qualified toll plazas will initially form part of the dry run. Other qualified toll plazas will gradually be included during the dry run period.
The TRB encourages tollway users to switch from cash to RFID. For those with existing RFID stickers, they are advised to check if these need to be replaced and that they have sufficient load before they enter the expressway.
