Enhancements in the radio frequency identification (RFID) system of NLEX Corp. are expected to be completed in the third quarter.
The company said these involve system updates, realignment of antennas, installation of contactless card readers, usage of handheld readers, and the initial implementation of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR).
The RFID antennas in 56 North Luzon Expressway and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (NLEX-SCTEX) toll lanes are being realigned to boost reading efficiency.
The project will increase the number of toll lanes with ‘advanced reading’ feature to 188 since a total of 132 antennas were realigned last year.
To provide an alternative way to process RFID transactions, 62 more toll lanes are being equipped with contactless Easytrip card readers, bringing the total number of toll lanes with card readers to 194.
“Aside from infrastructure building, we are also persistently working on digitizing and automating our business processes. We are continually adjusting our systems so we can provide a more efficient service to our motorists and afford them ease of travel,” said J. Luigi Bautista, NLEX Corp. president and general manager.
The company is also piloting the implementation of the ALPR at 25 toll lanes in Valenzuela City. The ALPR system uses smart cameras which are capable of reading vehicle license plates and are useful for matching transactions, improving safety and enforcing traffic laws.
To improve operational efficiency, NLEX also converted select toll lanes from mixed lanes (accepting both cash and RFID) to either cash or RFID lanes. It likewise removed reloading lanes in Balintawak and Bocaue toll plazas to relieve queuing.
Meanwhile, Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. has also been implementing upgrades in the infrastructure, network, account management system and the toll collection systems of its expressway network — NLEX, SCTEX, Manila-Cavite Expressway and Cavite-Laguna Expressway.
The ongoing upgrades intend to improve the turnaround time of transactions and reloads as well as reduce system issues. – Myla Iglesias
