FILE PHOTO: Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman. Photo from Facebook
MANILA, Philippines — A lawmaker has called for a quicker pace to the country’s toll interoperability project as motorists moving out of Metro Manila through the expressways still need to deal with having different electronic toll collecting (ETC) systems.
According to Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman, speeding up the pace of the toll interoperability project would mean a lot to motorists moving through the different expressways as entry and exit would be quicker, which also means a shorter queue and lighter traffic flow.
“Imagine if you weren’t bothered by long lines at the toll gates on your way to the vacation; wouldn’t your travel feel more pleasant and comfortable?” Roman said on Wednesday.
“‘Pag maiksi pila mas konting abala [If the line is short, there will be less hassle],” she added.
Under the current setup, there are two companies operating electronic or cashless toll-collecting systems — Easytrip and Autosweep.
Easytrip’s radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags service tollways under businessman Manny Pangilinan’s Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), like the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX), and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).
Autosweep, meanwhile is used on the expressways managed by Ramon Ang’s San Miguel Corporation Tollways (SMC Tollways), like the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Metro Manila Skyway (Skyway), Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway (NAIAx), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx).
Motorists whose trips would require moving through tollways operated by the MPTC and SMC Tollways might need Easytrip and Autosweep RFID stickers. For example, those from Roman’s province of Bataan who would like to go to the Ilocos Region or the Cordilleras would need to access the SCTEx managed by MPTC and then TPLEx, which SMC Tollways handle.
Significant advancements have been made in the toll interoperability plan, with Autosweep RFID stickers now being accepted on MPTC expressways. However, the integration of Easytrip on SMC Tollways is currently in its final stages of approval.
The project should be completed for public convenience, Roman noted, especially with the volume of vehicles on these expressways expected to increase during the Lenten season’s five-day long weekend.
Also, the lawmaker urged the government to explore ways for a unified cashless system for public transportation modes.
“Kasabay ng layunin ng gobyerno na i-modernize na ang mga public transport, napapanahon na rin para magkaroon ng maayos at iisang sistema para sa contactless payment system sa mga pampublikong sasakyan sa bansa,” she said.
(Along with the government’s goal to modernize our public transport, it is also time to explore an efficient and unified system for contactless payment in public transportation modes.)
Last November 2022, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) was questioned about the delays in the implementation of the toll interoperability project, with some lawmakers even asking if a law is needed just to ensure that both RFID tags work on the expressways owned by the two conglomerates. With reports from Aliah Gumasing, INQUIRER.net trainee
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