MPTC, SMC conduct RFID interoperability

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) and the San Miguel group will conduct testing for the interoperability of their radio frequency identification cashless toll payment systems as part of plans to eventually enable the use of just one RFID sticker for all expressways.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said the agreement between the toll operators was signed last Friday to jointly test the use of AutoSweep and EasyTrip RFID cashless toll payments for the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

The agency said a read rate percentage, or the system’s performance indicator when comparing RFID infrastructure, would be determined through the interoperability testing, which will be conducted for 14 consecutive days involving 45 vehicles composed equally of the different vehicle classifications.

SMC TPLEX Corp., a subsidiary of San Miguel Holdings Corp. and the concessionaire and operator of the TPLEX, uses the AutoSweep RFID tag, while MPTC, the investment holding company of the NLEX Corp., which is the operator of the NLEX and SCTEX, uses the EasyTrip RFID tag for its electronic toll collection.

An AutoSweep RFID sticker will be activated using an EasyTrip account, and an EasyTrip RFID sticker will be activated using an AutoSweep account.

A steering committee will be created to implement and monitor the parties’ compliance under the agreement.

After the test, the DOTr said participants would submit their test transaction reports and dashcam video recordings to the steering committee for validation and assessment.

The steering committee is given five days from the complete submission of the data collected to determine the read rate percentage.

The DOTr said the interoperability test is part of the ongoing campaign to implement a policy of toll interoperability for the fast, efficient and seamless travel of motorists along various toll roads, as the country continues to recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

“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,” Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said.

A toll collection interoperability project was launched in 2017 with the signing of an agreement between the toll operators and concessionaires.

The project has three phases, of which the implementation of 100 percent cashless and contactless toll payments form phase one.

The project’s second phase involves the use of two RFID wallets, which will make a single RFID sticker readable by sensors at different toll roads. Each wallet will contain the “load” for payments at specific toll plazas.

Phase 3 of the project will involve the use of just one RFID sticker for all expressways, and maintain only one wallet for toll payments.