Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC)  and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) will conduct a dry-run of the Contactless Program on selected toll plazas for two months starting Sept. 1, to ensure the program will run smoothly before it is re-implemented.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has directed tollway concessionaires and expressway operators under its jurisdiction to do so in compliance with the congress resolution re-implementing contactless toll collection.

During the pandemic, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued an order, dated 2020, requiring contactless transaction for all vehicles traveling on toll expressways to curb infection and decongest traffic.

However, motorists complained about glitches in the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) systems.

As a result, the DOTr allowed vehicles with no RFID stickers to pass and required cash lanes in all toll plazas. 

The DOTr Addendum, dated 2021, which allowed this, remains in effect to date.

For its part, the TRB conducted special performance audits on the expressways, from Feb. 23, 2023 to June 22, 2023.

This was on top of TRB's regular performance audits on the operators' ETCs.

The TRB TCS Audit Team assessed a total of 717 out of 852 or 84 percent of operated toll lanes. 

The remaining 135 toll lanes or 16 percent are currently being operated as cash lanes and will be tested once converted to ETC lanes. 

The TRB TCS Audit Team considered Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of the Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications (MPSS) of the ETC of the expressways.

First was Readability Rate, with at least 98 percent successful automatic detection.

Second was Account Management, taking into account almost real time transmission of data, accurate charging of toll fees, crediting of load to the account, updating of account balance information and accurate Toll Fare Indicator information during lane passage. 

Several toll plazas and toll lanes passed the 98 percent Readability Rate while some passed the parameters on Account Management. 

Based on the results, the TRB TCS Audit Team recommended that a two-month dry-run be conducted on the selected qualified toll plazas. 

This was approved by the multi-agency members of the TRB in its regular meeting held on July 28, 2023.

For Easytrip subscribers, the toll plazas that qualified to participate in the dry-run include North Luzon Expressway – All Toll Plazas; Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway – All Toll Plazas; Cavite-Laguna Expressway – All Toll Plazas; and Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway-C5 Southlink, covering Taguig Toll Plaza and Merville Toll Plaza.

For Autosweep subscribers, the toll plazas that qualified to participate in the dry-run includes NAIA Expressway – All Toll Plazas; South Metro Manila Skyway, Stages 1 and 2, covering Skyway Elevated Alpha and Bravo; C5 Exit and Entry, Nichols Entry, Nichols Exit, Merville Exit, Bicutan Entry SB and NB, Sucat Exit SB and NB, Alabang SB Exit; and South Luzon Expressway, covering Filinvest Exit and Entry, Alabang NB and SB, Mamplasan NB, Sta. Rosa NB, ABI SB and NB, Cabuyao SB, Silangan SB, Batino SB Exit, Calamba-Turbina SB Exit, Calamba NB Exit, Canlubang SB Entry, Calamba SB Entry, Calamba-Real NB Entry, and Calamba-Turbina A NB Entry.

Also included are Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway – All Toll Plazas; Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, covering Buendia NB Entry, Buendia SB Exit; Plaza Dilao SB Entry, G. Araneta NB Entry; and Quezon Ave. NB Entry, Quezon Ave. NB Exit, Quezon Ave. SB Entry, Del Monte NB Alpha.

The list likewise includes Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, covering Victoria Toll Plaza, Pura Toll Plaza, Anao Toll Plaza, Pozzorubio Toll Plaza, Rosario Toll Plaza; and G. STAR Tollway, covering Sto. Tomas SB Entry, Sto. Tomas NB Entry and Tanauan NB Entry.

As agreed between TRB and the toll concessionaires and operators, a first batch of qualified toll plazas will initially form part of the dry-run.

Other qualified toll plazas will gradually be included during the dry-run period.