New DOTr chief puts cashless toll implementation on hold anew
We reported last week that the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) announced that the cashless toll payment scheme for all expressways in the country will once again be implemented starting March 15, 2025. Of course, this announcement was met with backlash.
Well, if you still don’t have the required electronic toll collection RFID stickers on your vehicle or still prefer paying through cash, here’s some good news for you. Newly-appointed Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Vivencio “Vince” Dizon has ordered to once again put on hold the full implementation of the full cashless toll payment scheme on all expressways.
This was announced during his first-ever briefing as the new secretary of the government agency where he described the policy as being “anti-poor” as not all motorists may have the financial capability to reload their RFID accounts in advance.
He also mentioned that he plans to work with toll operators Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) and San Miguel Corporation (SMC) to ensure that the expressways are ready to implement 100% contactless payments. Previously, cashless toll systems were hounded with technical issues.
It will be recalled that this scheme was initially implemented in 2020 as one of the means to prevent the spread of virus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the reimplementation were to push through as planned on March 15, vehicles without the required RFID sticker would be asked to stop and have a sticker installed, along with the confiscation of the driver’s license and issuance of a temporary operator’s permit or violation ticket for violating the No Valid ETC Device, No Entry Policy under the Department of Transportation, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board, and TRB’s Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, with corresponding penalties.
Do you agree with this new directive or should the DOTr and TRB just go and push through with the new system after several suspensions over the past few years.
