Toll operators agree to test interoperability of RFID payment systems
MANILA, Philippines — Toll operators SMC TPLEX Corp., the Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., and NLEX Corp. have inked a deal agreeing to conduct testing for the interoperability of their systems as the transportation sector continues to bear the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the transportation department announced Monday.
In a statement, the Department of Transportation said that the concessionaires signed a memorandum of agreement to jointly test the use of the AutoSweep and EasyTrip radio frequency identification, or RFID tags for cashless toll payments, all part of an ongoing thrust of the department to come up with a seamless toll system where motorists would only have to load only one wallet.
Under the signed agreement, a steering committee is formed to implement and monitor the three parties' compliance with the agreement. "An AutoSweep RFID sticker will be activated using an EasyTrip account, and an EasyTrip RFID sticker will be activated using an AutoSweep account. The test will involve 45 vehicles, composed equally of the different vehicle classifications," the statement read.
Interoperability testing, the DOTr said, was slated to be conducted for 14 days, after which participants are expected to submit their test transaction reports and dashcam video recordings to the steering committee for validation and assessment. The steering committee will then be given five days, "from the complete submission of the data collected, to determine the read rate percentage or the system's performance indicator when comparing RFID infrastructure."
READ: Government seeks to integrate cashless toll system in expressways
The ongoing implementation of the RFID system was thrust into the spotlight over the weekend after Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian slammed the North Luzon Expressway for what he said was its contribution to the traffic woes of motorists along the expressway.
This comes after the government began to prohibit most cash payments in toll roads to lessen the risk of coronavirus transmission. However, motorists that flocked RFID application sites at the time were unable to get their stickers on time, because, among other reasons, toll operators failed to anticipate the demand and ran out of stickers
Transportation secretary Goddes Libiran told Philstar.com earlier that the agency had its eyes set on a seamless toll system where motorists would only have to load only one wallet to pass through North and South Luzon Expressways before the end of President Duterte's term.
“We are grateful to our private partners who have demonstrated their unparalleled support in this project. We need their assistance to fast-track the necessary measures to fully implement toll interoperability. We cannot do this on our own. Let us help each other once more,” transportation secretary Arthur Tugade said. — Franco Luna
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