Fines for tollway RFID, insufficient load postponed to 2025 due to ‘operational issues’

MANILA, Philippines – Penalties for motorists without electronic toll collection (ETC) devices or with insufficient RFID balances have been postponed once again, with the implementation now delayed until January 2025, as toll operators work to improve system efficiency and increase compliance among tollway users.

Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) executive director Alvin Carullo said that they decided to defer the implementation of fines to allow toll operators to “fine tune” their RFID systems, which do not yet meet government standards.

“Kaya namin napagsunduan po na isuspend muna o i-defer ‘yung implementation, lalo na po ‘yung mga penalties, ay nakikita po natin may problema din talaga ‘yung sistema. So, bibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ‘yung toll operators na ayusin ‘yung sistema nila,” Carullo said in a Malacañang press briefing on Monday, September 23.

(The reason why we suspended or deferred the implementation, especially the penalties, is because we saw that there is a problem too in the system. So, we’re giving an opportunity for toll operators to fix their system.)

Approximately 7.8% of tollway transactions are still processed manually. Of these, defective RFID tags account for nearly 6.76-percentage points. The remaining manual transactions are caused by other operational issues, such as tollway readers failing to detect tags due to poor maintenance. The TRB requires toll operators to have a RFID readability rate of 98%.

“We directed the toll operators to conduct [an] intensive replacement program of RFID to fix the RFID tags,” Carullo added in a mix of English and Filipino.

Motorists have also complained about delays in the real-time reflection of their RFID load, with some transactions reportedly appearing only the next day. The TRB’s minimum standards require RFID loading to be reflected in real-time.

Carullo said that he hoped tollway operators could address these issues by January 2025, allowing for the full implementation of the new tollway guidelines and corresponding penalties. However, he acknowledged that there could be further deferments if the system is not ready by the start of next year.

“Pag-aaralan po namin. Kung dumating ‘yung January at talagang hindi pa rin nakakamit nila ‘yung tinatawag natin na efficiency ng ating toll operational system, maari po na i-defer pa natin ng further,” the TRB chief said.

(We’ll study it. If January comes and they still have yet to achieve what we call efficiency in our toll operational system, then we may defer it further.)

The TRB is also urging motorists who have yet to install RFID tags to do so and ensure they maintain enough load. Currently, around 4.8% — or around 100,000 motorists — still do not have RFID tags.

Among the 95.2% who have them, approximately 3.6-percentage points have insufficient balance when passing through toll plazas.

With the removal of the maintaining balance requirement for RFID wallets, motorists now have the option to load only the exact toll amount needed for their trips.

For those without RFID tags, a dedicated lane for “exceptional transactions” allows them to pay in cash, after which they are required to have an RFID installed. Additionally, the TRB intends to issue a directive requiring RFID tags to be placed only on windshields, as those attached to headlights are more prone to failure due to the heat generated by the lights.

The TRB also said that it could launch a “one wallet, one RFID” system by early next year if their proof-of-concept test and dry run goes as expected. – Rappler.com