MANILA — An electronic toll collection (ETC) system will be established along the Cavite-Laguna Expressway (CALAX) once its construction is completed by 2020.
CALAX operator MPCALA Holdings Incorporated has signed an agreement with infrastructure firm Egis Projects Philippines Inc. (EPPI) for the construction of the system in all its toll networks in the 45 kilometer expressway as well as the Manila-Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX). The ETC system is envisoned to enable a seamless and cashless toll payment experience for motorists.
“It’s a first in the Philippines which is system capable to transact 1,200 vehicles per hour as it passes without any barriers. It is a big jump from the RFID transaction of 700 – 800 vehicles per hour at present. Our objective in using this new toll collection system is for our motorists to experience seamless, fast and reliable cashless transactions, making them spend less time on the road and more time with their families,” Luigi Bautista, President and CEO of MPCALA and CAVITEX, said in a statement Friday.
For his part, EPPI President and Managing Director Jean Claude Neumann said the toll collection system features the Automatic License Plate Recognition Solution Technology which can detect images of vehicle plates traversing along the expressway that will facilitate monitoring of traffic flow and payment of tolls.
“One of the advanced features of this ETC is the Automatic License Plate Recognition Solution technology which will help motorists experience uninterrupted and faster toll transactions. Through these unhampered transactions, we can lessen their travel time,” according to Neumann.
Electronic toll booths will be installed as each sections of the CALAX is completed and become passable to motorists while the CAVITEX will be having upgrades on its toll collection system. This will be integrated and interoperable with ETCs of other toll roads.
The CALAX is a 45 kilometer four lane expressway that will traverse from CAVITEX in Kawit, Cavite to the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX)-Mamplasan Interchange in Binan, Laguna. It will consist of eight interchanges in Kawit, Open Canal Road, Governor’s Drive, Aguinaldo Highway, Silang East, Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road, Laguna Boulevard and Technopark.
It is expected to ease traffic congestion in Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay-Santa Rosa Road and Governor’s Drive as well as reduce travel time from CAVITEX to SLEX by 45 minutes.
The CAVITEX-C5 South Link Expressway Project which will connect C-5 Road in Taguig to the CAVITEX is currently undergoing construction.
Around 45,000 vehicles are expected to benefit from the 7.7-kilometer C5 South Link project once it is expected to be completed by 2019.
MPCALA Holdings is a corporate subsidiary of Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC) which is the concessionaire and operator of North Luzon Expressway, Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway and CAVITEX. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
