Improve RFID system before penalizing drivers, TRB told

MANILA, Philippines — Before imposing hefty fines on motorists without RFID stickers, a smart technology adoption advocate group yesterday called on the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to improve first the cashless toll collection system.

Nick Conti, convenor of CLICK party-list and chief executive officer of Capstone-Intel Corp., said the TRB should first modernize the toll collection system before undertaking measures that further burden motorists affected by rising oil prices, high toll rates and traffic jams in Metro Manila.

Starting Aug. 31, the TRB said motorists would be fined up to P5,000 for entering expressways without RFID tags or insufficient toll load.

“The TRB must first focus on improving and modernizing the toll collection system. The perennial congestion on tollways, especially in Metro Manila, is largely due to defective RFID readers and the lack of a uniform payment system across various tollway concessionaires,” Conti said.

He pointed out that the RFID technology being used in the Philippines is outdated and unreliable, leading to delays and inconvenience for motorists.

“It’s time for the TRB to adopt state-of-the-art toll collection technology similar to those used in Singapore, Germany and the United States, where toll systems are seamless and efficient,” Conti said.

He underscored the need for a standardized toll collection system to avoid the need for multiple RFID tags or compatibility issues.

Conti further suggested that the TRB should be empowered with advanced technology to conduct daily audits of toll collections, ensuring that the revenue collected is accurately reported and properly remitted.