By Ben Rosario Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian on Friday urged colleagues in Congress to pass a bill that would allow the country’s expressways to transition to a unified cashless collection system now being practiced in many developed countries. Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian
(Facebook / MANILA BULLETIN) Gatchalian, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Industry, is the principal author of House Bill No. 6619 which he filed earlier this year, before the COVID 19 pandemic forced areas in the country into locking down. "With the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, however, going cashless on toll collections has taken a public health significance. Our expressways serve as gateways to different parts of the country," Gatchalian stressed. The administration solon said HB 6619 will provide the legal ground for expressways to adopt a cashless collection system that will also provide minimal physical contact among persons while the COVID 19 threat continues. The lawmaker said the passage of House Bill No. 6619, which he filed earlier this year, would allow expressways to transition into a cash-less collection system, which will eliminate direct contact between travelers and toll collectors and aid in the prevention of cross-border transmission of the coronavirus. "In the absence of a cure or vaccine for COVID-19, and with the still increasing number of confirmed infections in the country, we must continue finding ways to help contain the spread of the virus and save more lives,” he said. Under the proposal, all toll collection facilities operating in Philippine expressways will have to implement needed technologies and business practices to operate electronic toll collection (ETC) programs in their respective expressways. The bill also directs the Department of Transportation (DOTR), in collaboration with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), to create a multi-protocol radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. The proposed legislation also mandates the creation of the National Electronic Toll Collection System (NETCS). According to Gatchalian s RFID tag should be readily integrated with existing toll collection systems of all expressways. The RFID account for the NETCS must also be reloadable in reloading stations of existing ETCs. Toll collection booths shall also issue or display timely statements of toll transactions upon use of the RFID tags to provide transparency to consumers and protect them from hidden charges. Gatchalian noted that a toll interoperability memorandum agreement signed by the toll road companies operating 13 expressways in Luzon has already been in existence for years, although it has been largely ineffective in enforcing toll interoperability. The Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) also recently directed all toll operators to give free installation of RFID for vehicles using expressways, as a means to limit direct hand contact for toll payments and ensure social distancing measures. However, Gatchalian said these RFID tags should also be interoperable for practicality, convenience, and public health.