Poe, Binay want extension of deadline for RFID installation

At least two senators on Tuesday pushed for an extension on the deadline for installing radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags that would be used for cashless payment in various expressways.

Senator Grace Poe, chairperson of the committee on public services, said that the January 11, 2021 deadline should be further moved.

Additional RFID installation centers or booths should be set up, especially in strategic locations outside Metro Manila, to cater to motorists from nearby provinces, according to the senator.

"Vehicle owners should be given reasonable time to secure the stickers for the cashless payment system considering that we are in a pandemic where movement of people is limited, if not restricted," Poe said in a statement.

"We all want an efficient cashless system in our expressways, but without making our public suffer what's supposed to be a simple process of securing the RFID," she added.

Senator Nancy Binay, chairperson of the upper chamber's committee on tourism, also aired the same concern.

She said the deadline should at least be extended by the Department of Transporation until the end of February 2021.

"I think wala namang mawawala if the deadline is extended, so long as we get a commitment from our toll operators that while the cashless system is not fully operational health protocols will be strictly implemented," the senator said in a statement.

Further, Binay said dedicated cash lanes should still be retained by toll operators to spare from inconvenience other motorists who not regular users of expressways.

"Hindi naman natin maiiwasan na may mga one-time users ng mga expressway natin, lalo na yung mga galing ng probinsya like Samar, Bicol, Calabarzon, Mindoro, Baguio at ibang motoristang galing sa malalayo. It would be unfair to burden them with having to register for RFIDs for a single journey," she said.

Autosweep tags are issued by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC) for the Skyway, South Luzon expressway (SLEx), STAR Tollway, Tarlac–Pangasinan–La Union Expressway (TPLEx), Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway (NAIAx), and the Muntinlupa-Cavite Expressway (MCX).

Easytrip, on the other hand, is issued by the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) to be used in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx), C5 Southlink, and Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX).

Starting December 1, tollways shifted to a fully-digital cashless system, pursuant to the order of the DOTr in a bid to reduce physical contact amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DOTr earlier said there would be no apprehensions for vehicles without RFID tags until January 11, 2021.

"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," it said.—LDF, GMA News