DOTr: No apprehensions for vehicles without RFID tags until January 11

There will be no apprehensions for vehicles without the radio frequency identification (RFID) tags until January 11, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Tuesday.

In an advisory on Tuesday, the DOTr said that RFID installation at toll lanes and booths will remain on a 24/7 basis until January 11 even as tollways shift to a fully-digital cashless system by December.

"Wala pong mangyayaring hulihan mula December 1 hanggang January 11, 2021 para sa mga sasakyang walang RFID," the DOTr said.

"Matapos ang January 11, hindi na lahat ng lanes sa toll gate ay iko-convert bilang stickering lane. Magtatalaga na lamang ng isa o dalawang stickering lane, o kaya naman isang installation tent bago pumasok sa toll gate kung saan maaaring kabitan ng RFID ang mga sasakyan," it added.

Both the Autosweep and the Easytrip systems -- which cater to the expressways connected to Metro Manila -- are set to go fully contactless by December.

"Kung wala kang RFID by December 1, DOON KA MISMO SA TOLL GATE KAKABITAN. May nakaabang na RFID installation lanes ang mga toll gates, at may mga tauhan po ang toll operators na mag-aasist sa pagkabit ng RFID stickers," the DOTr said.

The Autosweep tags are issued by the San Miguel Group for the Skyway, the South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), the STAR Tollway, the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), the NAIA Expressway (NAIAx), and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).

The Easytrip System covers the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx), the C5 Southlink, and the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

Under the first phase of the government's Toll Collection Interoperability Project, Autosweep tags will be readable at the Easytrip System, while the second phase will allow Easytrip RFID tags to be readable at the Autosweep System. -MDM, GMA News