THE MANILA-CAVITE EXPRESSWAY (Cavitex) said on Tuesday that all its extension booths will no longer serve cash transactions starting Aug. 15, as the company targets to be fully electronic by November.
“As the Cavitex is set to complete its transition into full electronic by November, motorists are reminded to avail of the Easytrip RFID (radio frequency identification) to avoid any inconvenience,” it said in a statement.
Cavitex will close the 10 extension lanes (fishbone lanes) for cash transactions, both on the northbound and southbound lanes of the Parañaque Toll Plaza.
“We are determined to implement 100% electronic toll collection to help our government lessen the spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) by means of contactless transactions,” Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. (CIC) President and General Manager Roberto V. Bontia was quoted as saying in the statement. CIC is a subsidiary of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC), the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC).
He noted that going completely electronic would ensure physical distancing on the toll lanes, as there would no longer be interactions between motorists and tollbooth cashiers.
“Once our toll roads are fully electronic, motorists would no longer have to queue at tollbooths to pay. This will result in fast passage through toll lanes,” Mr. Bontia said.
The Easytrip RFID sticker is offered free of charge by Cavitex. Motorists will only need an initial load of P500, which is consumable and non-expiring.
MPIC is 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
