• A dry run for contactless toll collection at selected toll plazas on the country’s tollways begins on September 1
• The Toll Regulatory Board says the two-month dry run will test the readiness of tollway concessionaires and expressway operators for contactless toll collection
• TRB urges motorists to switch from cash payment to radio frequency identification for speedy toll collection
A two-month dry run for contactless toll collections will begin on September 1, 2023, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) announced on August 15.
The dry run for contactless toll collections will be implemented at selected toll plazas, TRB said.
The attached agency of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the dry run is a “necessary procedure” to check the readiness of tollway concessionaires and expressway operators for the efficient implementation of the contactless toll collection system.
TRB urged tollway users and motorists to switch from cash payment to radio frequency identification (RFID) toll collection.
“[The] first batch of qualified toll plazas will initially form part of the dry run. Other qualified toll plazas will gradually be included during the dry-run period,” the statement read.
“For those with existing RFID stickers, they are advised to have their RFID sticker checked if it needs replacement and that they have sufficient load before they enter the expressway,” it added.
DOTr issued Department Order No. 2020-12 on August 13, 2020, at the height of the pandemic requiring cashless or contactless transactions for all motorists using the expressways to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and to improve traffic flow.
But the contactless program received complaints in late 2020 due to its limitations and glitches in the electronic toll collection (ETC) systems, prompting DOTr to issue an addendum on January 29, 2021 allowing vehicles with no RFID stickers and requiring cash lanes in all toll plazas. This policy is still effective as of this writing.
In TRB’s special performance audits on ETCs of expressways from Feb. 23 to June 22, it assessed a total of 717 out of 852 or 84% operated toll lanes.
The remaining 135 toll lanes, or 16%, are being operated as cash lanes and will be tested once converted to ETC lanes.
Based on the audit results, TRB’s audit team recommended a two-month dry run on the selected qualified toll plazas. The recommendation was approved by the multi-agency members of TRB in its regular meeting on July 28.
The toll plazas qualified to participate in the dry run are:
Easytrip subscribers
A. North Luzon Expressway – all toll plazas
B. Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway – all toll plazas
C. Cavite-Laguna Expressway – all toll plazas
D. Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway-C5 Southlink
• Taguig Toll Plaza
• Merville Toll Plaza
Autosweep subscribers
A. NAIA Expressway – all toll plazas
B. South Metro Manila Skyway, Stages 1 and 2
• Skyway Elevated Alpha and Bravo
• C5 Exit and Entry
• Nichols Entry
• Nichols Exit
• Merville Exit
• Bicutan Entry Southbound (SB) and Northbound (NB)
• Sucat Exit SB and NB
• Alabang SB Exit
C. South Luzon Expressway
• Filinvest Exit and Entry
• Alabang NB and SB
• Mamplasan NB
• Sta. Rosa NB
• ABI SB and NB
• Cabuyao SB
• Silangan SB
• Batino SB Exit
• Calamba-Turbina SB Exit
• Calamba NB Exit
• Canlubang SB Entry
• Calamba SB Entry
• Calamba-Real NB Entry
• Calamba-Turbina A NB Entry
D. Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway – all toll plazas
E. Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3
• Buendia NB Entry
• Buendia SB Exit
• Plaza Dilao SB Entry
• G. Araneta NB Entry
• Quezon Ave. NB Entry
• Quezon Ave. NB Exit
• Quezon Ave. SB Entry
• Del Monte NB Alpha
F. Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway
• Victoria Toll Plaza
• Pura Toll Plaza
• Anao Toll Plaza
• Pozorrubio Toll Plaza
• Rosario Toll Plaza
G. STAR Tollway
• Sto. Tomas SB Entry
• Sto. Tomas NB Entry
• Tanauan NB Entry
