SMC, MPTC to jointly test toll collection interoperability

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  • SMC TPLEX Corp., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., and NLEX Corp. to conduct two-week testing of interoperability of toll collection systems
  • Joint tests will be done on the use of AutoSweep and EasyTrip RFID cashless toll payments for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX)
  • A steering committee will implement the agreement and monitor parties’ compliance

Tollway operators SMC TPLEX Corp. (SMCTC), Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), and NLEX Corp. have agreed to test together the interoperability of their toll collection systems.

The toll operators and concessionaires signed on December 4 a memorandum of agreement to jointly test the use of AutoSweep and EasyTrip radio frequency identification (RFID) cashless toll payments for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

They also agreed to determine the read rate percentage.

Glitches in the implementation of mandatory cashless payment on expressways have caused massive traffic jams over the past week. The problem is so bad that Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian has said toll operators may lose their concession contract with the government unless they fix the issue.

Gatchalian called for a review of the agreement between the government and MPTC and San Miguel Corp. (SMC), urging the toll operators to get their act together.

SMC subsidiary SMCTC, the concessionaire and operator of TPLEX, uses the AutoSweep RFID tag.

On the other hand, MPTC subsidiary NLEX Corp., which operates NLEX and SCTEX, uses the EasyTrip RFID tag for electronic toll collection.

Under the MOA, an SMC AutoSweep RFID sticker will be activated using an MPTC EasyTrip account, and an EasyTrip RFID sticker of MPTC will be activated using an AutoSweep account from SMC.

The test will involve 45 vehicles, composed equally of the different vehicle classifications, and will be conducted for 14 consecutive days.

A steering committee will be created to implement the agreement and monitor the parties’ compliance.

After the test, the participants will submit their test transaction reports and dashcam (dashboard camera) video recordings for the steering committee to validate and assess.

The steering committee has five days once all data collected have been submitted to determine the read rate percentage, or the system’s performance indicator when comparing RFID infrastructure.

The toll collection interoperability project was launched in 2017 after the toll road operators signed a MOA to tweak their toll collection systems to make them interoperable and integrated. For motorists, interoperability means they can seamlessly use their electronic tags from one toll road operator to another when they traverse the different toll roads.

The use of RFID stickers for cashless toll collection is the first phase of the toll collection interoperability project. It is now part of the ongoing campaign of the Department of Transportation (DOTr), through the Toll Regulatory Board, to promote contactless and cashless toll transactions in tollway facilities, especially during this time of pandemic.

Last December 1, DOTr finally implemented the mandatory cashless transaction for all expressways of SMC and MPTC.

SMC earlier reported that traffic along its expressways and toll plazas was generally smooth on the first morning that the 100% cashless toll collection was implemented.

It noted, however, that many motorists have still not secured their RFID stickers as seen from the continuous high volume of applications at installations sites.

SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang earlier requested DOTr to consider moving the implementation of cashless collection to February 2021 to give motorists more time to secure their RFID stickers.

DOTr, for its part, said no apprehensions would be made until January 11, and that the tollways may practice leniency toward motorists with no RFID stickers.