DOTr moves fining of motorists without RFID to 2025
The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has postponed the fining of motorists without radio frequency identification (RFID) to 2025, according to the Presidential Communications Office (PCO).
"Iniurong ng Department of Transportation (DOTr) sa 2025 ang pagpapataw ng multa sa mga motoristang lalabag sa mga patakaran sa expressways sa NCR at karatig na lugar, kabilang ang pag-install at tamang pag-load ng RFID," the PCO said in a Facebook post on Sept. 22.
"Ang implementasyon ng penalties sa ilalim ng Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001 ay pansamantalang ipinagpaliban upang tiyaking naaayon ito sa layunin ni Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na solusyunan ang problema sa trapiko," it added.
The circular—signed by DOTr Secretary Jaime Bautista, DOTr Assistant Sec. Vigor Mendoza, and Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) Executive Director Alvin Carullo—was supposed to be implemented last Aug. 31.
It was earlier moved to Oct. 1 to allow tollway operators and concerned agencies to smoothen their operations, as well as launch a public information campaign.
Motorists passing through expressways are required to have RFID tags, in a bid to make tollway transactions cashless and tollway plazas have shorter queues.
There are two different RFID tags along the country’s toll expressways since there are two different operators: San Miguel Corporation (SMC) and Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC). The former uses AutoSweep, while the latter uses EasyTrip.
As it stands, SMC is in charge of the following:
- South Luzon Expressway
- Southern Tagalog Arterial Road Tollway
- Skyway
- Skyway Stage 3
- Tarlac Pangasinan La Union Expressway
- Muntinlupa Cavite Expressway
- Ninoy Aquino International Airport Expressway
The MPTC, meanwhile, operates the following:
- North Luzon Expressway
- NLEX Harbor Link
- Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway
- Cavite Laguna Expressway
- C5 Link
- Cavite Expressway
By October, the TRB wants a unified RFID wallet system or interoperability between AutoSweep and EasyTrip. Since July, only one RFID tag was needed for any expressway.
The board said those without RFID tags or insufficient account balance will be charged.
Motorists entering an access highway without RFID tags will incur a fine of P1,000 for the first offense, P2,000 for the second offense, and P5,000 for subsequent offenses.
Meanwhile, those exiting toll expressways with insufficient account balance will be fined P500 for the first offense, P1,000 for the second offense, and P2,500 for subsequent offenses.