Electronic toll collection lays off 100 Cavitex tellers

MANILA, Philippines — Thousands of expressway workers face layoffs due to the order of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to shift to fully electronic toll collection amid the pandemic, a labor group warned.

More than 100 toll tellers of Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex) are the first casualty since they are about to lose their jobs by Oct. 31, according to Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino.

It said Cavitex Infrastructure Corp., which manages the expressway, plans to terminate all those operating the Cavitex toll plazas by Oct. 31.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade has ordered the transition to cashless transactions on all toll expressways to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The Toll Regulatory Board required all concessionaires and operators to adopt automated cashless systems by Nov. 2.

—Dona Z. Pazzibugan