RFID

San Miguel Corporation (SMC) president Ramon S. Ang is asking the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to allow the toll operators to keep the cash lane open until February because of the large volume of vehicles that don’t have the RFID stickers yet.

SMC had noted a larger-than-expected spike in applications, particularly from non-regular users hoping to beat the deadline.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has warned that any delay in the implementation of contactless toll payment scheme would only make motorists and personnel manning the toll plazas vulnerable to the Covid-19.

Although all expressways will be implementing cashless toll collections, motorists without RFID stickers will still be allowed entry to the toll plaza but will be led to an area where their vehicles will be provided with the RFID stickers.

SMC emphasized, however, that Nov. 30 will be the absolute deadline. After which, vehicles without RFID stickers will not be allowed to enter SMC-operated tollways including Skyway, SLEX, NAIAX, STAR Tollways and TPLEX.

Lawmakers said there is a need to clarify why transport operators are against the RFID project, which they described as a "money-making scheme."