The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has issued revised rules mandating cashless or contactless transactions for all vehicles traveling expressways to streamline toll collection and reduce traffic congestion.
Under the revised implementing rules and regulations (IRR) approved by the TRB on Nov. 25, 2024, toll operators are required to convert existing toll facilities that feature “cash only” toll transactions to accommodate electronic toll collection methods, such as RFID stickers.
Expressway operators are also directed to intensify information and education campaigns promoting the migration of toll expressway users from cash payments to contactless methods, like ETC system devices, through traditional and social media.
The TRB also urged operators to install informative signs at strategic locations to inform motorists about the effective date of the re-implementation of contactless toll transactions.
The agency said ETC devices/RFID stickers should be free of charge, and an initial minimum toll fee load equivalent to the exact toll at the time of passage may be loaded without requiring a maintaining balance.
“Toll expressway concessionaires/operators and/or ETC RFID service providers shall ensure by proper and appropriate testing that the ETC Device/RFID Sticker is active and ready for use immediately upon installation,” the TRB said.
“Toll fee load or balance in the ETC/RFID account shall have no expiration period and shall be exclusively used for payment of toll fees at toll expressways,” it said.
The TRB encouraged the enrollment/registration of ETC devices/RFID stickers to the interoperability project to mitigate the installation of multiple devices/stickers on a motor vehicle and avoid multiple readings by ETC/RFID antennas at toll lanes.
The agency advised motor vehicles with two or more ETC devices/RFID stickers to remove old, inactive stickers to avoid slow antenna reading/detection.
All toll expressway users are required to have a sufficient ETC/RFID load balance before exiting a payment lane at the toll plaza.
The TRB said motor vehicles exiting the toll expressway with insufficient balance processed after the toll plaza would be processed and penalized.
The average penetration rate of ETC transactions across all tollways is 90 percent.
San Miguel Corp., which operates Skyway, South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway, and NAIAx, uses the AutoSweep RFID tag, while Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., which operates Manila Cavite Expressway, C5 Link Expressway, and Cavite Laguna Expressway, uses the EasyTrip RFID tag for electronic toll collection.