SMC Infrastructure has announced that it is ready to implement the government's renewed push for cashless and contactless payment systems on its expressways.
This, after the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) announced that it will conduct a dry run starting September 1 to test the readiness of concessionaires for a smooth and efficient reimplementation of the program along the country’s main toll roads.
“We support the DOTr's [Department of Transportation] and the TRB's move to make toll collection purely cashless. We believe this move will significantly reduce traffic congestion and waiting times at toll plazas and contribute to a smoother and safer travel experience,” SMC President and CEO Ramon Ang said in a statement Thursday, August 17.
The infrastructure unit of San Miguel Corporation, which operates several toll expressways in Luzon, said it has begun transitioning mixed lanes — or cash-accepting lanes — at select toll plazas and exits, to allow for only cashless transactions.
“Our teams are already installing and calibrating RFID scanners and related equipment. We will do everything necessary to ensure that the implementation will go smoothly. If in the course of the dry run period any adjustments have to be made, we will also be ready,” Ang added.
Under the TRB-directed dry run, only vehicles with an active Autosweep RFID account will be allowed along SMC’s toll expressways, namely the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), Skyway at-grade and Skyways 1,2,3; the NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).
Motorists without an active RFID sticker will still be allowed to pass, but toll personnel will install an RFID sticker on their vehicle so they can exit at the electronic toll collection (ETC) lane towards their destination.
Toll personnel will only take a photo of the vehicle license plate and secure the motorist’s mobile phone number. Motorists will then need to complete the registration process by supplying other essential information at the Autosweep RFID website.
“Our motorists can always reach out to our customer service team to deal with any concern they have regarding their Autosweep accounts. We appeal to our motorists to report any problems they encounter to our help desk, immediately,” Ang said.
To recall, DOTR had issued Department Order 2020-012 last August 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which mandated toll road concession holders to implement a cashless or contactless toll collection system.
A subsequent addendum to the order issued in January 2021 instituted a transition period to the full cashless transaction program, with cash-accepting lanes maintained at toll plazas and exits.
#CashlessTollSystem #SanMiguelCorporation #SMC #TRB #DOTr #OpinYon