METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) had submitted a proposed roadmap to the Transportation department for the full execution of cashless payment on all its toll roads.
“We have been actively talking to DoTr (Department of Transportation) and DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) in relation to contactless passage. We submitted a proposal last May 26 already, which details the roadmap to execute 100% cashless transactions for our expressways,” said J. Luigi L. Bautista, president of Metro Pacific Tollways North, a unit of MPTC, at a virtual media conference on June 13.
He said the Transportation department is currently evaluating the proposal. “They are very supportive. We are just sorting out some final details.”
Once approved, the MPTC will be implementing the cashless payment plan in three phases. “The first phase is 100% RFID in the five to six months; phase two will be the interoperability with the other expressways which can happen in the next 12 months; and phase three is the free flow already, which is what they call open-road tolling, and this can happen in the next two to three years,” Mr. Bautista said.
The group has also proposed that the government should require all motorists to put radio frequency Identification (RFID) tags on their vehicles.
Mr. Bautista noted that the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board currently requires public utility vehicles to have RFID tags.
“In the case of private cars, there is no mandate yet,” he said.
He added that only 30% to 35% of vehicles that pass through the MPTC’s toll roads are equipped with RFID.
MPTC operates North Luzon Expressway, Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway, and Cavite Expressway.
MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), one of the three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin
