Ramon Ang seeks extension of deadline for cashless tollway transactions

MANILA, Philippines — San Miguel Corp. (SMC) President and Chief Operating Officer Ramon Ang is asking the Department of Transportation (DOTr) for more time before the 100 percent cashless transaction policy is implemented at all expressways.

Ang said that a “huge number” of motorists have yet to secure their radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers, for which the DOTr should give due consideration.

“I have been monitoring the situation. We only have a few days to go, and yet our sticker installation sites are still packing long lines, especially this last weekend before implementation on December 1,” Ang said.

“Given the surge in last-minute applications we’re seeing, we don’t think we will be able to serve everyone. A large number of motorists will not make it to the December 1 deadline,” he added.

Ang said that despite the company’s efforts to roll out additional measures to fast-track the installation of stickers—including opening 100 additional sticker installation sites and implementing 24 hours installation at major locations—the volume is just too much.

“My honest opinion is we will really need at least until February. And that is what we are asking the government. To allow us to retain even just a few cash lanes until February,” Ang said.

“Majority of lanes at toll plazas can be ETC, because anyway, the tollway operators have complied and equipped all lanes for cashless transactions. We can then assign some lanes for continued stickering, and at least one lane for cash payments,” he added.

The implementation of the fully cashless transactions in tollways was originally set on November 2 but was later moved to December 1.

The DOTr has also said that motorists whose vehicles do not have RFID stickers will not be apprehended until January 11 of next year.

“As the DOTr itself said, there really is no need to panic if you are a non-regular user of expressways. Even with the scheduled implementation on December 1, motorists with no stickers will not be apprehended,” Ang said.

Despite his call for more time before the implementation of the fully cashless tollway transaction, Ang assured that all lanes at toll plazas of SMC’s expressways—Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR) Southern Luzon Expressway (SLEX) the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX)—are ready and fully equipped for the shift to 100 percent electronic toll collection by December 1.

/MUF