TRB is aiming for a unified RFID system by mid-2024

Some major developments for expressways in the Philippines may be on the way. According to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), they’re aiming to achieve interoperability among electronic toll collection (ETC) systems across expressways in the northern and southern regions of Metro Manila by June or July of this year. This means that motorists will only need a single RFID card for all expressways, regardless of whether they are managed by Metro Pacific Tollways (MPTC) or San Miguel Corporation (SMC).

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This development will be welcomed by the majority of road users since a primary concern among motorists, hindering their transition to cashless payments, is the necessity to manage two separate e-wallets for different expressways.

In an interview with the press, Alvin Carullo, the Executive Director of TRB, mentioned that they initiated trial runs for the interoperability of the current RFID utilized by both the Metro Pacific Toll Corporation and the San Miguel Corporation in September of the previous year.

“We have been conducting dry-runs and a series of meetings on this and the target is the simultaneous implementation by June or July (this year) of full cashless and interoperability of all our toll operators.”

Alvin Carullo
Executive Director, TRB

Aside from targeting toll interoperability, the TRB announced that all toll exits will be conducting tests on their cashless payment systems, with the goal of removing all cash lanes by June. Simultaneously, TRB is working towards implementing the RFID interoperability program, with the targeted completion date set for July 2024.

Speaking more on the move to cashless payments, the TRB has already conducted a dry run of cashless payments on toll plazas and exits last year. Despite the widespread adoption of cashless transactions, a TRB Board Resolution includes an addendum designating one booth for cash transactions in all toll plazas. Carullo mentioned that upon the successful completion of the dry-run for cashless transactions and interoperability, they will propose the removal of the addendum to enable the full implementation of cashless transactions across all toll booths.

There’s some time to go before July rolls around so we’ll have to wait a bit more before a unified RFID system comes. Temper your expectations though because there is always a possibility for glitches to arise with the introduction of a new system.