A three-strike policy to be imposed on motorists violating the radio frequency identification (RFID) in several expressway systems in the country will not be implemented unless the same policy is imposed on expressway operators, the Pangilinan-led Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. and San Miguel Corporation under Ramon S. Ang.
The Toll Regulatory Board agreed to this suggestion made by the House Committee on Transportation during a hearing on the three-strike policy issue on Wednesday, February 10.
The House panel chaired by Samar Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento will formalize its proposals in a resolution that will be filed immediately.
Also included in the proposed resolution is the panel’s recommendations for the TRB to authorize expressway operators to ban motorists identified as recidivists in violating the RFID policy.
Sarmiento said the toll operators should also issue notices of violation of RFID rules to motorists before imposing penalties for RFID rule violations.
Appearing before the House panel, Undersecretary Garry de Guzman of the Department of Transportation revealed that the three strike policy will penalize motorists who continue to queue in RFID toll booths without having sufficient balance in their RFID cars or do not actually have such cards.
De Guzman noted that at least 41 percent of 26,933 motorists who entered RFID lanes in Cavitex last December, 2020 did not have sufficient cash balance loaded in their cards.
He said at least three drivers violated this rule over 200 times since the RFID card system was implemented last year.
“Sinasadya na nila ang ganitong violation (They are really purposely committing this violation),” De Guzman said.
The acting TRB chairman said the two expressway operators have so far distributed RFID cards to at least 86 percent of the usual travelers in the Luzon toll roads.
Deputy Speaker and Valenzuela City Rep. Wesley Gatchalian and Muntinlupa City Rep. Ruffy Biazon called on the TRB to withhold in the meantime the implementation of the three-strike policy until it is likewise ready to apply the same rule on expressway firms.
“Wouldn’t it be more fair for everybody if operators are required to comply first with minimum standards in using their RFID system?” Biazon asked.
Gatchalian recalled that the traffic bottleneck that inconvenienced hundreds of motorists last year at the Northern Luzon Expressway was caused by a defective barrier.
The two lawmakers said “disappearing loads”; defective barriers and reading machines are just among the “offenses” that expressway firms commit against road users. De Guzman assured solons that the TRB will soon come up with three strike policy against erring operators, saying that the agency is now in the “final stages” of approving rules for minimum performance standards that they must observe.