SMC Infrastructure Says It Is Ready To Shift To Cashless Tolls

SMC Infrastructure says it is ready to implement the government’s renewed push for cashless tolls along expressways. This is in line with its commitment to provide seamless travel and enhance the experience for millions of motorists utilizing the road networks it operates.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr), through its Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) will conduct a dry run starting Friday, September 1 to test the readiness of concessionaires for a smooth and efficient reimplementation of the program.

“We support the DOTr’s and the TRB’s move to make toll collection purely cashless. We believe this move will significantly reduce traffic congestion and waiting times at toll plazas and contribute to a smoother and safer travel experience,” said SMC President and CEO Ramon S Ang.

The infrastructure unit of San Miguel Corporation, which operates several toll expressways in Luzon, said it has begun transitioning mixed lanes—or cash-accepting lanes—at select toll plazas and exits, to allow for only cashless transactions.

“Our teams are already installing and calibrating RFID scanners and related equipment. We will do everything necessary to ensure that the implementation will go smoothly. If in the course of the dry run period, any adjustments have to be made, we will also be ready,” Ang continued.

Under the TRB-directed dry run, only vehicles with an active Autosweep RFID account will be allowed along SMC’s toll expressways, namely the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), Skyway at-grade and Skyways 1,2,3; the NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX). For a list of specific toll booths that will shift and participate in the cashless toll collection dry run, you can read our article here.

Motorists without an active RFID sticker will still be allowed to pass, but toll personnel will install an RFID sticker on their vehicle so they can exit at the electronic toll collection (ETC) lane toward their destination.

Toll personnel will only take a photo of the vehicle license plate and secure the motorist’s mobile phone number. Motorists will then need to complete the registration process by supplying other essential information at the Autosweep RFID website.

Ang meanwhile assured motorists that the Autosweep RFID remains a safe, secure, and efficient electronic toll collection system, and its customer service hotline is open daily to help address motorists’ concerns.

“Our motorists can always reach out to our customer service team to deal with any concern they have regarding their Autosweep accounts. We appeal to our motorists to report any problems they encounter to our help desk, immediately,” Ang said.