MPTC pushing for integrated digital toll system

MANILA, Philippines — Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) has submitted a proposal to the government that will modernize the country’s tollways system through contactless payment and interoperability.

Luigi Bautista, president of MPTC-unit NLEX Corp., said the group submitted a  proposal last month detailing a roadmap to execute pure cashless transactions for the company’s expressways, as well as the system’s interoperability with other tollways.

“So it’s a comprehensive roadmap that has been submitted by Metro Pacific.  The Department of Transportation (DOTR) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are looking at the proposal,” Bautista said.

“We’re just sorting out some finer details, but the proposal will be in three phases. First phase includes being 100 percent RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) in the next five to six months,” he said.

Bautista said phase two would be the interoperability with all the other expressways and toll roads which can happen in the next 12 months.

“Phase three will be very exciting because this will be the free flow already, or what they call open road tolling, and that can happen in the next two or three years,” he said.

Bautista said the group is waiting for  the DOTr to respond to the proposal, but said the agency is very supportive of it.

“But the important component here also is hopefully there will be a mandate that will be given by the government for all of the motorists to put RFID in their vehicles,” Bautista said.

“In fact, LTFRB has already done that for public utility vehicles. There was already a directive for them to put RFID. But in the case of private cars and all the other private vehicles, there is no mandate yet. It will help a lot if the government mandates the motorists to put RFID in their vehicles,” he said.

Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark Villar said interoperability of the tollways is really the direction which the country is heading into.

He said going cashless is inevitable, especially with the ongoing health situation brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019  or COVID-19  pandemic.

“Interoperability, that’s always been our target. MPTC and San Miguel, we already have some interoperability, but we want to complete it to 100 percent,” Villar said.

“And that’s really where we’re headed. That’s really where we’re going eventually, especially now more than ever, cashless is king because the less interaction the better. So that would definitely be a priority for us and for the DOTr and we’ll be working closely to expedite this cashless payment,” he said.

Villar said San Miguel has also expressed their support for interoperability and “it’s more of a technical issue at this point” that has prevented them from doing so.

“I am sure in the very near future they’ll be able to execute. They’ve already committed, they’ve already expressed they’re supportive of this interoperability so it’s just a matter of time. When I speak to them next, we will finalize a deadline,” he said.

SMC earlier also bared its plans to go cashless on all the toll roads it operates as part of efforts to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.