CAVITEX to go cashless on September 14

MANILA, Philippines — The Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) will implement a full cashless system across its toll plazas starting Sept. 14 to compel motorists to install and use the radio frequency identification device or RFID.

The PEA Tollway Corp. said yesterday it would remove all cash lanes in CAVITEX and mandate all travelers to use RFID when paying their toll.

The PEATC, a subsidiary of the Philippine Reclamation Authority, serves as the government partner of the Pangilinan-led Cavitex Infrastructure Corp. in managing CAVITEX, which plays a crucial role in linking Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog.

Motorists without an RFID will be directed to the side of the road where they can pay their fees in cash and have their vehicles installed with an RFID.

According to the Toll Regulatory Board, the dry run for full cashless covers the Parañaque and Kawit Toll Plazas of CAVITEX. The TRB is also conducting a series of trials for contactless payments in toll gates as it hopes to enforce 100 percent RFID within the year.

To support the cashless transition, the PEATC said motorists could get their RFID in multiple stations along CAVITEX and CAVITEX-C5 Link.

Earlier, the TRB wanted to fine motorists without an RFID or have insufficient load last month, but deferred its implementation to Oct. 1.

The Department of Transportation postponed its enforcement to give motorists more time to familiarize themselves with the new rules.

Per the joint memorandum circular, entering a tollway without an RFID would earn a fine of up to P5,000, while exiting a toll gate without sufficient load balance carries a fine of up to P2,500.