SMC seeks moving cashless toll collection deadline to Feb

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Photo from San Miguel Corp.
  • San Miguel Corp. is requesting for a February extension of the December 1 deadline for mandatory cashless transaction on expressways
  • There has been a surge in last-minute applications for RFID stickers, SMC president Ramon Ang said
  • SMC also eyes retaining a few cash lanes until February to accommodate last-minute applicants and non-regular expressway users
Photo from San Miguel Corp.

San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president Ramon Ang is requesting the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to extend until February next year the deadline for the mandatory cashless transaction on expressways.

This, Ang said in a statement, will provide motorists more time to get their radio frequency identification (RFID) stickers.

“Given the surge in last-minute applications we’re seeing, we don’t think we will be able to serve everyone. A large number of motorists will not make it to the December 1 deadline,” Ang, who is also SMC chief operating officer, said.

Mandatory cashless toll collection is set to be implemented by December 1 pursuant to DOTr Department Order 2020-012, which was issued to contain the coronavirus pandemic and facilitate passage on expressways.

READ: Mandatory cashless toll collection on Luzon expressways starts Dec 1

Under the order, DOTr-attached agency Toll Regulatory Board should ensure toll operators have installed electronic tags or other cashless systems for all motorists and motor vehicles using the expressways, and transact only through cashless payment.

Ang said that despite the company rolling out additional measures to fast-track installation of RFID stickers, the volume of applications was “too much.”

READ: SMC to establish 100 more RFID installation sites

The company has earlier opened 100 additional sticker installation sites and implemented 24-hour installation at major locations to address the situation.

He said non-regular users of expressways trying to beat the December deadline, along with strict distancing protocols, are one of the main reasons for the long lines at installation sites.

He said this “huge number of motorists that have still not secured their RFID stickers” should be given due consideration.

“My honest opinion is we will really need at least until February. And that is what we are asking government: To allow us to retain even just a few cash lanes until February,” he added.

Ang said majority of lanes at toll plazas can do electronic toll collection “because anyway, the tollway operators have complied and equipped all lanes for cashless transactions.”

“We can then assign some lanes for continued stickering, and at least one lane for cash payments. This is in case traffic builds up due to long lines at stickering lanes,” he said.

With this, Ang said some motorists can still opt to pay in cash and just have their stickers installed on their next trip.

“As the DOTr itself said, there really is no need to panic if you are a non-regular user of expressways. Even with the scheduled implementation on December 1, motorists with no stickers will not be apprehended. Also, stickering will continue at the toll plazas and installation sites. In fact, these will continue even after January,” he assured.

The DOTr earlier said motorists without RFID stickers will not be apprehended until January 11 of next year.

“But given that many motorists still want to get their stickers as soon as possible, I think we can still accommodate them,” Ang noted.

“For those unable to get theirs, I think we won’t lose anything by providing them some consideration. We hope government will study this option carefully. At the end of the day, we will abide by what they say,” Ang said.

He noted all toll plazas on SMC’s expressways—Southern Tagalog Arterial Road, Southern Luzon Expressway, the Skyway System, Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway, and Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway—are ready and fully equipped to shift to 100% electronic toll collection.