Toll operators sign deal for RFID interoperability testing

The recent transition to cashless toll collection and the rush to get radio frequency identification (RFID) stickers has motorists asking: will the day come when it’s possible to link both accounts on just a single sticker, without having to get both?

The country's toll operators agreed to test the interoperability of their toll collection systems

That question could soon be answered, as the country’s leading toll operators recently inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to conduct joint interoperability testing for their respective toll collection systems. Signatories to the contract include SMC TPLEX Corporation (SMCTC), Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), and NLEX Corporation.

SMCTC uses the Autosweep RFID tag, while MPTC under which the NLEX Corporation operates, uses the EasyTrip RFID system. Currently, only EasyTrip accounts can be linked to existing Autosweep ones, not the other way around, which has been a source of frustration for many motorists.

The program will involve 45 vehicles, divided equally among the different classifications (Class 1, Class 2, Class 3). Testing will be conducted for two weeks or 14 consecutive days in both Autosweep and Easytrip toll plazas.

>>> Related: TRB orders toll operators to replace defective RFID scanners

Linking both accounts under a single sticker is actually part of Phase 3 of the cashless toll program

At the end of two weeks, participants will submit their test transaction reports and dashcam video recordings to the steering committee formed for this purpose. The committee has five (5) days from receipt of the material to determine the read rate percentage or the system’s performance indicator when comparing RFID infrastructure.

Secretary Arthur Tugade of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), who witnessed the signing, thanked the toll operators and concessionaires for their willingness to speed up toll collection interoperability for both motorists and commuters.

>>> Related: NLEX taking RFID ruckus with Valenzuela City to court

Hopefully, this results in smoother journeys ahead for motorists

“We are grateful to our private partners who have demonstrated their unparalleled support in this project. We need their assistance to fast-track the necessary measures to fully implement toll interoperability,“ he said. “Hindi ho naming kakayanin ito mag-isa. Tulong-tulong ho tayong muli. At dahil sa kinakaharap nating pandemya, kailangan ho nating bilisan ang programang ito.”

(We in government cannot do this alone. We need the private sector’s help. And we need to fast-track the program in light of the pandemic we are facing.)

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