Senator Grace Poe (File photo from Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Grace Poe sees the need for the radio frequency identification (RFID) system to first undergo a test of reliability before the government imposes a fine on motorists without RFID or with insufficient load.
Poe, who used to head the chamber’s panel on public services, said at present, some motorists are still complaining about devices that cannot read RFID stickers.
In a statement, the senator lamented that she personally experienced such an incident.
“Some devices also do not reflect the remaining balance or are not functioning at all, that will require the card for manual payment,” said Poe on Thursday.
She then brought up what was earlier promised by the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) — a full implementation of the inter-operability of Easy Trip and Auto Sweep services by July “to make travel easier.”
“What happened to this? We would also like to know what the TRB is doing about the defective RFID devices. Are the private operators being penalized for them?” she asked.
Concluding her remarks, Poe said unresolved issues that cause “logjam of vehicles at the expressway toll booths manifests the unreliability of the system.”
With this, she urged regulators and private entities to fix RFID issues and prove that cashless payment will pave the way for a better travel experience.
Under a Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001 signed by the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Office and TRB, motorists who pass through expressways without a valid RFID device will face monetary fines beginning August 31, 2024.