After giving sufficient time, months actually, for dry-runs and technical adjustments, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) announced on Saturday, Feb. 15, that the implementation of cashless toll collection on major tollways in Luzon will start next month, specifically on March 15. 

Citing information from the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), the DOTr said this means that all motor vehicles using the expressways going to the northern part of the country and heading towards the provinces south of Metro Manila must have valid Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) device or Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sticker installed on their vehicles.

The cashless toll collection is part of the barrier-less goal in all expressways by the TRB under the joint DOTr/LTO (Land Transportation Office/TRB’s Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, which also sets the penalty for any violations. 

It was supposed to be implemented in the middle of 2024 but outgoing DOTr Secretary deferred its implementation twice—the first was in August last year wherein the order was to implement it by October 2024, and the second was its deferment until this year.

The decision to defer the implementation was based on the appeal of the motorists who requested for more time to adjust, as well as the complaints of technical glitches.

“We hope the concerned agencies and tollway operators would use the deferment to fine-tune expressway operations and further intensify the public information campaign to enable tollway users to comply with the new guidelines,” said Bautista in a statement released in August last year.

“The DOTr has the tools to address congestion on major roads but is taking time for a thorough review to ensure these solutions meet motorists’ needs,” said Bautista in a statement after suspending its implementation anew in December last year.

Cashless, barrier-less

In a statement, the TRB said the implementation of cashless/contactless toll payments will optimize the use of all toll plazas through the ETC System.

“Dedicated toll lanes used by cash paying motorists are usually congested with long lines of motor vehicles, and the same often hamper the fast and efficient flow of traffic leading to the ETC designated lanes,” the statement read.

“It is expected that a better and more efficient flow of traffic will result once these lanes are strictly used for ETC only,” it added.

In an interview last year, TRB executive director Alvin Carullo said the cashless transactions will be complemented by another project which is to remove all the barriers in all toll booths of expressways to ensure a free flow of vehicles.

In removing barriers in toll gates, Carullo said the move is to prevent instances of traffic build-up especially during long weekends and holidays when the volume of vehicles using the expressways is high.

He said final touches are now being done for the automatic charging by RFID monitors in all toll booths.

Need to install

The TRB said that while vehicles without valid RFIDs will be allowed to pass through toll plazas, they  will be issued a Temporary Operator’s Permit or a Show Cause Order for violating the “No Valid ETC Device, No Entry” Policy.

“The Land Transportation Office (LTO), through its deputized personnel, will issue against them either a Temporary Operator’s Permit or Show Cause Order for violating the “No Valid ETC Device, No Entry” Policy under the DOTr/LTO/TRB’s Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, and will be meted the corresponding penalty/ies,” the TRB said.

Based on the JMC 2024-001, motorists who would enter expressways with no RFID will be fined P1,000 for first offense; P2,000 for second offense; and P5,000 per succeeding offenses if they would enter the ETC lanes.

For those with RFID but with insufficient balance, the violators would be fined P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense and P2,500 for the third and succeeding offenses.

The JMC also penalizes those with tampered and fake RFIDs—P1,000 for a first offense, P2,000 for a second offense, and P5,000 for every succeeding offense.