DOTr pursues 100% cashless transactions on select tollroads by Nov. 2

MANILA: The Department of Transportation (DOTr) emphasized the need for the immediate and smooth implementation of cashless transactions on toll expressways to guarantee rapid transition not later than November 2, 2020.

This is in accordance with the release of the Department Order 2020-012, which DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade signed last August 13.

This allows directly involved agencies of the Department such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to create new procedures and processes for the enforcement of cashless transactions.

The main purpose is to reduce the possibility of COVID-19 transmission through contactless transactions while abolishing congestion and traffic queues on toll plazas.

Contactless transactions shall be carried out in known limited-access facilities such as the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Tollway, South Metro Manila Skyway, North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway (CAVITEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), NAIA Expressway (NAIAX),  South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway system, and other road networks, which include extensions of the current expressway facilities that were mentioned, which may be operated or constructed as expressway toll facilities.

In accordance with its role as the regulatory authority over restricted access facilities, the TRB is instructed to strictly enforce rules and regulations requiring operators and concessionaires to shift to purely electronic toll collection lanes.

The Department Order also required TRB to guarantee the installation of electronic tags along with other cashless systems, like but not restricted to, Automated Fare Collection System (ACFS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), and others for all motor vehicles that will use the toll expressways for cashless transactions.

TRB Executive Director Abraham Sales said, “Coordination is already ongoing between TRB and our concessionaires and operators. We are also working on the implementing rules and regulations of the new policy to ensure the smooth and expedient transition to contactless and cashless transactions. Ginagawa natin 'yan para walang hawaan (ng COVID-19). 'Yan po ang direktiba sa atin ni Secretary Tugade kaya sisiguraduhin po natin na maipatupad ito by November 2 (We are doing this so that there would be no transmission of COVID-19. This is the directive of Secretary Tugade to us so we will ensure that we will be implementing this by November 2).”

Moreover, the LTO will handle the exploration and analysis of means and approaches to enable a complete contactless and cashless system along expressways.

LTFRB, on the other hand, will keep track of the compliance of public utility vehicles (PUVs) on the required installation and utilization of electronic tags and other cashless systems in their respective units.

Meanwhile, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will also impose a cashless toll collection effective November 2.

In a statement, SMC CEO and President Ramon S. Ang said that the establishment of additional lanes, as well as the reconfiguration of the systems, have been carried out already at toll expressways along with the free installation of RFID stickers for all vehicle types.

Ang explained, “We have completed the reconfiguration of these cashless lanes to help ensure a smooth transition and hopefully, minimal delays for motorists. Implementing this measure is a priority for us because it is in line with government health regulations and it will better protect both our motorists and expressway employees. We support government policy to go cashless. We also believe it will stem the spread of the virus even as we keep transportation and mobility open and efficient. I would like to remind the public: For your added convenience and safety, please avail now of your free RFID stickers at our toll plazas. There are no requirements, so it will be very quick and easy.”

At the Skyway, Ang added that, currently, there are 130 Electronic Toll Collection (ETC)-capable lanes. Other ETC-capable lanes are the 134 lanes at SLEX, 58 lanes at STAR, and the 36 lanes at the NAIAX.

For TPLEX, its 37 ETC-capable lanes are being updated to 52.

Furthermore, toll tellers who will be impacted by lane automation will be deployed to other areas of the tollways, which include the SMC Tollways’ RFID department and the new Skyway Stage 3.

SMC also launched a system, the “RFID to Go,” where the sticker can be placed at the lanes with a minimum of P200 load for Class 1 vehicles, and an amount corresponding to the farthest toll for both Class 2 and 3 vehicles.

PUVs and fleet accounts may also visit this website and follow the steps indicated.

Numerous reloading stations have also been installed and these are seen at the following locations:

Skyway and NAIAX

Open 24/7

1. C5 CSC Southbound
2. Old NAIAX-Drive Thru Westbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. Petron Commerce
4. Petron C5
5. Petron Dasmarinas
6. Petron NAIAX
7. Petron Valle Verde
8. C5 Toll Plaza Northbound
9. NAIAX Main Toll Plaza A
10. NAIAX Main Toll Plaza B

Open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

11. Shell Magallanes

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

12. Bicutan Toll Plaza Northbound
13. Nichols Toll Plaza Southbound
14. Runway Toll Plaza Northbound
15. Sucat Southbound After Exit

SLEX

Open 24/7

1. After Calamba Entry Toll Gate
2. Southwoods Toll Plaza Northbound
3. Eton Toll Plaza Northbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

4. Southwoods CSC Northbound
5. Southwoods CSC Southbound
6. Ayala Greenfield CSC
7. Sta Rosa CSC Northbound
8. Sta. Rosa Southbound
9. MaTES Office Silangan Northbound
10. Petron Evia
11. Shell Mamplasan
12. Petron San Pedro
13. Shell Putatan
14. Filinvest Toll Plaza
15. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Northbound
16. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Southbound
17. Susana Heights Toll Plaza Southbound
18. Cabuyao Toll Plaza Southbound

STAR

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

1. Star Toll Lipa CSC (Tambo Exit)
2. Petron Lipa
3. Petron Malvar

Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

4. Batangas Drive Thru Southbound
5. Sto Tomas Drive Thru Northbound
6. Lipa Drive Thru Southbound

TPLEX

Open 24/7

1. TPLEX Tarlac Main Office Northbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

2. Petron Pura Northbound
3. Petron Pura Southbound

Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

4. Carmen Toll Plaza
5. Pura Toll Plaza
6. Rosario Toll Plaza
7. Tarlac Toll Plaza
8. Urdaneta Toll Plaza
9. Victoria Toll Plaza

Online reloading is available through Coins.ph, Gcash, and the online payment platform www.JustPay.To.

Motorists can also transact online through select banks, which include EON by Union Bank, BPI, Chinabank, Maybank, Union Bank, and Bank of Commerce.

Over-the-counter payments are also allowed at RD and Tambunting pawnshops, Truemoney, ExpressPay, LBC, Western Union, Shopwise, Rustans, Family Mart, Robinsons Supermarket, Robinsons Department Store, 7 Eleven, WalterMart, SM Hypermarket, SM Business Services, SM Bills Pay, Savemore, and Treats.

Payments are also allowed on self-service kiosks like E.Tap, ECPay, and TouchPay.

Photos from the Department of Transportation (DOTr)

Also read: DOTr: Toll transactions must be contactless, San Miguel reveals SLEX-TR5 and Pasig River Expressway plans