In a surprising move, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has slammed the brakes on the planned rollout of cashless toll collection on major expressways in Luzon, including the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). The announcement came from the newly-appointed DOTr Secretary Vince Dizon during a press briefing at the Palace, where he revealed his directive to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to delay the shift to contactless transactions.
Dizon emphasized his decision to suspend the cashless toll system, which was set to resume on March 15 across all toll expressways managed by the TRB. The goal was to enhance the efficiency of toll lanes and plazas through the Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) System, requiring all motorists to equip their vehicles with a valid ETC Device or RFID sticker.
Violators of the ‘No RFID, No Entry’ rule were to face penalties. However, Dizon pointed out the previous attempt at implementing cashless payments was unsuccessful due to a lack of awareness among motorists. He expressed doubts about the timing and readiness of the system, labeling the contactless payment approach as ‘anti-poor.’
Dizon is keen on collaborating with toll operators Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and San Miguel Infrastructure to scrutinize the system’s efficiency. He questioned the functionality of barriers and the readability of RFID tags, stressing the importance of not complicating people’s lives through regulation. He believes that the cashless system, in its current state, would only add to the public’s burdens and is hopeful for a time when the system is perfected.