TRB wants all toll plazas to go cashless by June 2024: Report

All toll plazas under Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will implement cashless or RFID-only payments by June 2024. The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) wants this as it aims to make traffic flow in toll exits faster and more efficient. 

Toll plazas to go cashless by June 2024

In a report by the Philippine Star, TRB executive director Alvin Carullo said that all toll exits under MPTC and SMC will be testing their respective systems or RFID scanners for cashless payments by June.

The TRB is determined to push through with cashless toll payments on the expressways to lessen traffic buildups in toll exits, which is a common sight during long weekends and holidays such as Holy Week since vehicle volume increases. 

Carullo shared that the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) has recorded the most issues when it comes to implementing cashless toll payments. CAVITEX is under the management of MPTC, which uses Easytrip RFID. 

The TRB is also targeting to implement full interoperability for RFID systems in Philippine expressways this year. This means that two RFIDs in the Philippines, which is Easytrip and Autosweep, will be readable on all expressways–eliminating the need to maintain sufficient balance on each of the RFIDs.   

Easytrip and Autosweep RFID cards

The report states that the TRB will start the dry run for the interoperability of Easytrip and Autosweep RFID today, January 10. The agency then targets to implement one RFID card system across expressways in July.

Expressways that use Easytrip RFID: 

- North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)

- Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)

- Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX)

- Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX)

- C5 South Link

Expressways that use Autosweep RFID: 

- South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)

- Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollway)

- NAIA Expressway (NAIAX)

- Skyway

- Skyway Stage 3

- Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX)

- Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX)

Cashless toll payments will be the norm

For reference, the TRB implemented cashless toll payments last 2023 where it has ordered tollway operators to conduct a two-month dry run for the contactless program. The said dry run commenced last September 1, 2023. The TRB decided to push for the said dry run as its Toll Collection auditing team reported that 717 out of 852 toll plazas were already ready for cashless or RFID-only payments.  

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