THE Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), are ‘all-systems-go’ for the implementation of full cashless toll collection on November 2, as mandated by the government, the company said in a statement.
However, the surge in the number of motorists rushing to convert to the Autos-weep RFID system have resulted in long queues at the installation stations, particularly these past two weeks.
As such, many motorists have yet to secure their RFID stickers, even as the date of implementation draws near.
For this reason, the company said it would be extending the issuance of its free RFID stickers to November 30.
“By November 2, all lanes at our toll plazas will be fully capable and converted to electronic toll collection, in full compliance with the government’s mandate. However, after careful study and deliberation, and especially in consideration of so many motorists who have not been able to secure an Autos-weep RFID account because of the volume of applications we have today, we have decided to extend the deadline to November 30,” the company said.
“This means that from Nov. 2 to 30, vehicles without RFID will still be allowed to enter the expressways. Hopefully, this will give more time for motorists to get their RFID stickers,” the company said.
However, SMC emphasized that November 30 will be the absolute deadline. After which, vehicles without RFID stickers will not be allowed to enter SMC operated tollways including Skyway, SLEX, NAIAX, STAR Tollways and TPLEX.
Motorists who do not conform to the government mandate will have to be apprehended and issued a citation ticket, it said.
To provide more convenience to motorists, SMC has set up installation and reloading lanes at toll plaza entry points, in addition to the installation and reloading stations already set up in strategic locations in Metro Manila and Luzon provinces.
Here’s a list of SMC’s Autosweep RFID Stations and Toll Plazasas of October 23, 2020:
Skyway/NAIAX:
Open 24/7:
1. C5 Customer Service Center Southbound
2. Old NAIAX Drive-Thru Westbound
Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
3. C5 Toll Plaza Northbound
4. Petron Dasmariñas
5. Petron Valle Verde
6. Shell Magallanes
Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
7. Bicutan Toll Plaza Northbound
8. Nichols Toll Plaza Southbound
9. Skyway Runway Toll Plaza Northbound
10. Sucat Southbound Exit
Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
11. NAIAX Main Toll Plaza A & B
SLEX: Open 24/7
12. Southwoods Toll Plaza Northbound
13. After Calamba Entry Toll Gate
14. Eton Toll Plaza Northbound
Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
15. Ayala Greenfield Customer Service Center
16. Southwoods Customer Service Center Northbound
17. Sta. Rosa Customer Service Center Northbound
18. Sta. Rosa Customer Service Center Southbound
19. Cabuyao Toll Plaza Southbound
20. Susana Heights Toll Plaza Southbound
21. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Northbound
22. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Southbound
23. Filinvest Toll Plaza
24. Calamba Customer Service Center Northbound (After Toll Gate)
25. Petron Evia
26. Petron San Pedro Southbound
27. Shell Mamplasan Northbound
28. Shell Putatan Southbound
29. Caltex MCX
30. TOTAL SLEX Northbound
31. Southwoods Mall Terminal 1
Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
32. Sta. Rosa Toll Plaza Southbound
33. Cabuyao Toll Plaza Northbound
Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
34. Alabang Entry Toll Gate Southbound
35. Petron Silangan (KM.44) Southbound
STAR
Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
36. Sto. Tomas Drive-Thru Northbound
37. Lipa Drive-Thru Southbound
38. Batangas Drive-Thru Southbound
Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
39. STAR Toll Lipa Customer Service Center (Tambo Exit)
40. Petron Lipa Northbound
41. Petron Malvar Southbound
42. Petron Ibaan (KM. 86) Northbound
TPLEX Open 24/7
43. TPLEX Tarlac Main Office Northbound
Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
44. Petron Pura Northbound
45. Petron Pura Southbound
Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
46. Tarlac Toll Plaza
47. Victoria Toll Plaza
48. Pura Toll Plaza
49. Carmen Toll Plaza
50. Urdaneta Toll Plaza 51
On the other hand, the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC) today said motorists who don’t have RFIDs by November 2 will still be allowed passage in NLEX, SCTEX, CAVITEX, C5 Link and CALAX, but will be directed to the RFID installation lanes where they can have their RFID stickers installed.
The corresponding toll fee charge for their passage on that particular day will be deducted from the initial load that they paid in getting the RFID stickers.
“We will convert some of the remaining cash lanes in all toll plazas of MPTC expressways to RFID installation lanes. At the same time, the off-site customer service stations will continue to operate and install RFID stickers,” MPTC Chief of Technology and MPT South President and General Manager Roberto V. Bontia said, adding that, “the stickers will remain to be free except for the initial load.”
This means that motorists can still have the RFID stickers installed on their vehicles even beyond November 2, 2020 — the first day of implementation of 100% RFID in all expressways following the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) Department Order 2020-012 which aims to help curb the spread of Covid-19 and ease passage.
NLEX Corporation J. Luigi L. Bautista said MPTC will open RFID installation lanes in all entry toll plazas to serve motorists who have not gotten their Easytrip RFID yet even after November 2. Aside from these drive-thru installation lanes, other RFID installation and reloading sites in various locations will remain open. At NLEX-SCTEX, there will also be drive-thru reloading lanes in Balintawak, Mindanao, Bocaue, Angeles, and Tipo, Rosario Toll Plaza. (With reports from ELOI SAMONTE)