Toll operators agree on interoperability testing for cashless toll payment systems

MANILA, Philippines — Toll operators have agreed to test the interoperability of their cashless toll payment systems, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Monday.

In a statement, the DOTr said the SMC TPLEX Corp. (SMCTC), the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), and the NLEX Corp. (NLEX) have inked a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to test the AutoSweep and EasyTrip radio frequency identification (RFID) cashless toll payments along expressways.

SMCTC, operator and concessionaire of the Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway, uses the AutoSweep RFID tag, while the MPTC, which operates that North Luzon Expressway and Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, uses the EasyTrip RFID tag.

The interoperability test is part of the DOTr’s campaign for a “fast, efficient, and seamless travel of motorists along various toll roads, as the country continues to recover from the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.”

“We are grateful to our private partners who have demonstrated their unparalleled support in this project. We need their assistance to fast-track the necessary measures to fully implement toll interoperability,” DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade said, as quoted in the statement.

Under the MOA, a committee will be created to implement and monitor the toll regulators’ compliance with the agreement.

An AutoSweep RFID will be activated using an EasyTrip account while an EasyTrip RFID sticker will be activated using an AutoSweep account. The test will include 45 vehicles composed of different vehicle classes.

DOTr said the testing will be conducted for 14 straight days. After the test, participants will send their reports and dashcam video recordings to the steering committee for assessment. Miggy Dumlao, trainee

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