The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and its attached agencies should fast-track the implementation of Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Toll Interoperability Project, lawmakers said.
Neophyte lawmaker Ilocos Rep. Sandro Marcos and Valenzuela City 2nd District Rep. Eric Martinez filed House Resolution No. 159 calling for the speedy and full implementation of the cashless or no contact toll payment scheme.
The resolution was also filed by Caloocan Rep. Dean Asistio, Parañaque City Rep. Edwin Olivarez, Cavite Rep. Ramon “Jolo” Revilla III and Caloocan City Rep. Oscar Malapitan.
In their resolution, the congressmen noted the Toll Interoperability Project has been “long overdue,” stressing that “further delay of its implementation is causing great inconvenience to the public,” especially to travelers in various toll expressways.
“Since 2017, the DOTr has been pushing for this project and had the good window of opportunity to roll-it out smoothly when the Covid-19 pandemic struck the country,” Martinez said in a statement accompanied by the copy of the resolution.
Motorists need to have their vehicles installed with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sticker for cashless mode of payment of toll.
The two major operators on toll expressways are the San Miguel Corp. (SMC), which operates the Skyway, South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), STAR Tollway, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressways (NAIAx), and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX), and has its own AutoSweep RFID, and the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), which is using Easytrip RFID for its North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx), C5 Southlink and Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).
READ: Which RFID works where?
Martinez pointed out the DOTr moved the implementation of the mandatory cashless payments in all toll expressways from Nov. 2 to Dec.1, 2020, and later to Jan. 11 of last year, to give motorists ample time in having RFID stickers installed in their vehicles.
“It has already been more than a year since the implementation and completion of Phase 1 of the Toll Interoperability Project,” he said.
Under the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement for the Toll Interoperability Program, the last-termer solon reminded the toll road companies are required to make adjustment in their systems that would allow integrated toll collection.
The DOTr signed the agreement with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Land Transportation Office (LTO), Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), SMC, MPTC and the Ayala Group.
READ: AutoSweep, EasyTrip RFID interoperability MOA signed
The Phase 2 of the program involves the the use of two RFID wallets containing sufficient amount of load for payments at specific toll plazas but shall have a single RFID sticker readable by sensors at different toll roads.
The Phase 3 is the implementation of one RFID sticker only, maintaining one wallet for payment to all toll plazas.