Dry run of cashless toll collection begins Sept. 1 —TRB

Motorists plying expressways are advised to load up their RFIDs starting next month as cash lanes will be removed for a two-month dry run of contactless or cashless toll collection.

In an advisory on Wednesday, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) directed tollway operators and concessionaires to conduct a dry run of the Contactless Program on selected qualified toll plazas for two months beginning September 1, 2023.

“The dry-run is a necessary procedure to ascertain the readiness of the tollway concessionaires and operators for the smooth and efficient reimplementation of the Contactless Program,” the TRB said.

With this, the toll roads regulator “strongly encourages the tollway users to switch from cash to RFID.”

“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 said.

To recall, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) issued Department Order No. 2020-12 on August 13, 2020 requiring cashless or contactless transactions for all vehicles traveling on toll roads as a measure to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19 and a means to ensure a more efficient traffic flow within expressways.

The TRB said the DOTr issued an “addendum” on January 29, 2021 allowing vehicles with no RFID stickers and requiring cash lanes in all toll plazas due to numerous complaints received during the implementation in November 2020 amid various constraints and glitches in the electronic toll collection (ETC) systems.

“This Addendum remains effective as of this time,” the toll regulator said.

Meanwhile, the upcoming dry run of cashless toll collection is in compliance with the resolution passed by the Committee on Transportation of the House of Representatives calling for its reimplementation.

In preparation for the dry run, the TRB said it conducted various special performance audits from February 23, 2023 to June 22, 2023, assessing a total of 717 out of 852 operated toll lanes.

The TRB said the remaining 135 toll lanes or 16% are currently being operated as cash lanes and will be tested once converted to ETC lanes.

It said that of the assessed lanes, several toll plazas and lanes passed the 98% Readability Rate while some expressways passed the parameters on Account Management.

“Based on the results, the TRB TCS Audit Team recommended that a two (2)-month dry-run be conducted on the selected qualified toll plazas. This was approved by the multi-agency members of the TRB in its regular meeting held on July 28, 2023,” it said.

The toll plazas that qualified to participate in the dry-run are as follows:

For Easytrip users:

• North Luzon Expressway – all toll plazas
• Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway – all toll plazas
• Cavite-Laguna Expressway – all toll plazas
• Manila-Cavite Toll Expressway-C5 Southlink - Taguig Toll Plaza and Merville Toll Plaza

For Autosweep subscribers:

• NAIA Expressway – all toll plazas
• 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 SB and NB, Sucat Exit SB and NB, Alabang SB Exit
• 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
• Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway – all toll plazas
• 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
• Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway - Victoria Toll Plaza, Pura Toll Plaza, Anao Toll Plaza, Pozorrubio Toll Plaza, Rosario Toll Plaza
• STAR Tollway - Sto. Tomas SB Entry, Sto. Tomas NB Entry, Tanauan NB Entry

“As agreed between TRB and the toll concessionaires and operators, a first batch of qualified toll plazas will initially form part of the dry-run to ensure a smooth and efficient implementation. Other qualified toll plazas will gradually be included during the dry-run period,” the toll regulator said.

“The first batch of qualified toll plazas that will be included in the dry-run will be posted in signages and banners at the expressways, and in the websites of TRB and the tollway concessionaires and operators,” it said. —VAL, GMA Integrated News