Toll operators have signed a memorandum of agreement to test the interoperability of their cashless toll payment systems, according to the Department of Transportation (DOTr).
In a statement, the DOTr said that the SMC TPLEX Corp., Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., and NLEX Corp. have agreed to conduct testing for the interoperability of the Autosweep and Easytrip RFIDs for the North Luzon Expressway, Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway, and Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway. The interoperability test also aims to determine the read rate percentage.
The DOTr said that the test is part of its 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 disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade expressed his appreciation to the toll operators and concessionaires for their willingness to fast-track the necessary measures to fully implement the toll interoperability policy for the benefit of motorists and commuters, especially now that measures, such as strict physical distancing and cashless transactions, are being enforced to contain the spread of COVID-19.
“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. Hindi ‘ho namin ito kakayanin mag-isa. Tulung-tulong ‘ho tayo muli. At dahil sa kinakaharap nating pandemya, kailangan ‘ho nating bilisan ang programang ito,” Tugade said.
Under the MOA, a steering committee will be formed to implement and monitor the 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 equally composed of different vehicle classifications.
The DOTr said that the interoperability testing will be conducted for 14 consecutive days. After the test, the participants will 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.
The Toll Collection Interoperability project was first launched in 2017 with the signing of a MOA between the toll operators and concessionaires where they agreed to “timely, smoothly, and fairly implement the interoperability of the electronic toll collection systems.”
