Ang Probinsyano party-list Rep. Ronnie Ong wants the postponement of the full shift to cashless toll collection to January 2021.
In a television interview, Ong reacted to the Department of Transportation’s directive that all toll road operators must go full cashless in their transactions starting Nov. 2 in a bid to help slow down the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
“For us, the timing is not that good. As if they are in a haste… We are not against automation, the cashless (transaction). We are all for that. But Nov. 2 is quite near,” he said.
“We hope there could be a delay to probably in January 2021 when everybody will be more ready. Of course, in between that, we will fix first the system,” he added.
Transport Secretary Arthur Tugade issued DOTr Order No. 2020-10 requiring all tollways operators and concessionaires to install electronic tags or other cashless systems for all motorists and motor vehicles using the toll expressways and transact only through a cashless mode of payment of toll not later than Nov. 2.
Ong called on the Toll Regulatory Board to integrate the radio frequency identification tags from different toll road operators to make them “all-in-one.”