A lawmaker urged the Metro Pacific Tollways (MPT) to delay until January next year its plan to fully automate toll collection on its tollways through the use of pre-installed radio frequency identification (RFID) tags starting November 2.
Currently, Rep. Ronnie Ong of the Ang Probinsyano said in a statement that toll operators have their own RFID and easy pass lanes but these are not interoperable thereby discouraging motorists using multiple tollways from availing RFID tags and other forms of electronic toll cards.
He said MPT’s plan is not only “premature” but it is also “ill-timed” because hundreds of toll booth collectors, who are already struggling to survive because of the pandemic, could lose their jobs once toll collection becomes fully automated.
Metro Pacific Tollways is the operator of the North Luzon Expressway, the Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX) and the Manila-Cavite Expressway.
While he is not against the plan for a full transition to cashless tollway operation, the lawmaker said this should be implemented only when all tollway operators have already integrated their electronic toll collection system.
“This would allow motorists to use just one or a single RFID tag instead of having to use several RFID tags for different toll gates,” he said.
According to Ong, there are some motorists who barely travel to the north that would require them to use RFID tags for NLEX and SCTEX or to Cavite via CAVITEX and are only equipped with RFID tags intended for tollways in the Southern Luzon area.
“Buying another RFID tag that is intended only for a single trip is not only oppressive and impractical, but it can also cause so much hassle for motorists particularly to ‘probinsyanos’ who live in Southern Luzon,” Ong said.
“I don’t know why Metro Pacific Tollways is in a rush to go fully cashless. For one, they should consider the fact that not all motorists are frequent travelers to the north especially those who live in the south. The government should not allow these tollway operators to have different RFID tags because this would mean additional financial burden for our motorists,” Ong said. “Besides, what would happen to our toll collectors if we go fully automated especially now that we are in the middle of the pandemic? Instead of using the RFID as an excuse purportedly to protect toll collectors from [Covid-19], the MPT should just equip them with proper personal protective equipment and ensure that all health and safety protocols are strictly observed.”