The Department of Transportation (DOTr) will “still maintain RFID installation lanes” even after the end of the transition period set on January 11 amid calls for extension.
DOTr Asec. Goddes Hope Libiran said the government is amenable to giving considerations and that the retention of some installation lanes is “on top of the three-month transition [they] gave from August to November and the extension [they] granted from November 1 to December 1.”
The assurance came after Senator Grace Poe suggested that “vehicle owners should be given reasonable time” for the cashless system since the country is in a “pandemic where movements of people are limited”.
Meanwhile, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said the number of cars are now under control compared to the situation on December 1. NLEX assessment showed that the volume of vehicles with RFID without load contributed to the build-up of heavy traffic.
“Talagang nagkakaroon ng mga glitches ng mga problema, but we will continue to monitor and coordinate the operators para ma-improve ‘yung situation (There were glitches but we will continue to monitor and coordinate the operators to improve the situation),” TRB Exec. Dir. Abraham Sales stated.
Motorists can buy load in customer service areas located before the toll plazas, RFID reload lane in toll gates, convenience stores, e-wallets, and banks. They each have a crediting time ranging from one to 24 hours. – Report from Karen Villanda
