Solon calls for deferment of full shift into cashless toll collection to January

A lawmaker is calling on authorities to postpone the full shift to cashless toll collection to January 2021 amid supposed issues on its implementation.

Ang Probinsyano party-list Representative Ronnie Ong made the call on Sunday after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) ordered all toll road operators to go full cashless in their transactions by November 2 in a bid to arrest the further spread of COVID-19.

"Sa atin kasi, parang hindi masyadong maganda yung timing at mukhang nagmamadali na naman sila. We are not against automation, yung cashless, we are all for that. Pero November 2, medyo malapit siya," Ong said in a Dobol B sa News TV interview.

"Sana ma-delay nila nang konti to probably in January 2021 when everybody will be more ready. At siyempre in between that, ayusin na lang nila muna yung sistema," he added.

Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade earlier issued DOTr Order No. 2020-10 requiring all tollways operators and concessionaires to install electronic tags or other cashless systems for all motorists and motor vehicles using the toll expressways and transact only thru the cashless mode of payment of toll not later than November 2.

These cashless systems include Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Automated Fare Collection System, among others.

The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) had said it is targeting to reach around 1.1 million to 1.2 million RFID subscribers to achieve 100% cashless transactions along its toll roads by November.

MPTC is the operator of North Luzon Expressway (NLEx), Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEx), Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEx), and Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAx).

Meanwhile, SMC Tollways -- which operates Skyway, NAIA Expressway (NAIAEx), South Luzon Expressway (SLEx), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollways), and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) -- is also going 100% RFID.

But Ong urged the Toll Regulatory Board to integrate the RFID tags from different toll road operators to make them "all-in-one."

He argued that there are motorists who use the tollways both going north and south of Metro Manila, forcing them to install many RFID tags on their vehicles.

"Can you imagine if may mga logistics company or deliveries na kailangan dumaan ng north and south yung kotse nila, wala na silang ginawa kundi magpalagay ng sticker. And then pa-load pa nang pa-load kasi iba-ibang load. So one vehicle can have as much as five cards and you have to load each one every now and then," he said.

"Sana pwedeng gawing all in one na lang para hindi na tadtad ng sticker yung mga vehicle at most importantly, hindi na mahirapan," he added.

Ong believes that if authorities are willing to integrate their systems, then his request to have an "all-in-one" RFID is possible.

"There are other countries who have similar situation but meron silang mga all in one card or all in one RFID. I'm sure pwede namang gawin kung gustuhin," he said.

"And with the technology that we have right now, everything is possible and everything is workable. Pwede naman nilang ayusin kung gustong ayusin," he added. —LBG, GMA News