The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the growing urgency in incorporating cashless payment for our daily transactions. Aside from online banking and bills payment, digital payment systems have also been recommended by the government, which previously introduced the implementation of cashless fare payment schemes in selected modes of public transportation.
Following this, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) announced that they are also shifting to cashless transactions on all tollways that they operate. This includes Skyway, NAIA Expressway (NAIAX), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR Tollways) and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX).
In order to encourage the public’s cooperation, the company is offering free installation of radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers for electronic toll collection. This is open to all motorists—who drive both public and private utility vehicles—passing through SMC’s tollways.
Through its “RFID To Go” scheme, RFID stickers can conveniently be installed at the lanes with a minimum P200 load for Class 1 vehicles. On the other hand, an amount equivalent to the farthest toll will be installed for Class 2 and 3 as well.
Meanwhile, public utility vehicles (PUVs) and fleet accounts may visit the RFID website to check for the steps on registration. Moreover, SMC will not require supporting documents for all of these applications.
As of June 11, the RFID installation areas in Skyway are in the following places:
- Bicutan Civil Service Commission (CSC)
- C5 CSC Southbound
- Petron Commerce Ave.
- Petron C5
- Petron Dasmarinas
- Petron NAIAX
- Shell Magallanes
- C5 Toll Northbound
- NAIAX Main Toll Plaza A&B
- Old NAIAX- Drive Thru
- Skyway Main Toll Plaza (northbound)
Those in SLEX may also avail of the free RFID stickers in these locations:
- Ayala Greenfield
- Silangan CSC
- Southwoods (northbound and southbound)
- Sta. Rosa (Northbound)
- Cabuyao Toll Plaza (southbound)
- Susana Heights
- Petron San Pedro
- Shell Mamplasan
- Shell Putatan
- Petron Evia
- Eton (northbound)
- Filinvest
- Mamplasan (northbound and southbound)
For STAR Tollway users, locations for applications are at Star Toll Lipa CSC, Petron Lipa and Petron Malvar.
Lastly, motorists who frequent TPLEX can go to Tarlac CSC, Petron Pura (northbound and southbound), Carmen Toll Plaza, Pozorrubio Toll Plaza and Tarlac Toll Plaza.
Motorists who are already using RFID can also reload through stations and online facilities such as G-cash and JustPay.To.
Online payment is also made possible through select banks including Bank of Commerce, Union Bank, Maybank, Chinabank, BPI and EON by Union Bank.
“We are committed to protecting motorists and our tollway operators and ensuring that everyone’s health is safeguarded by limiting personal contact and going 100% RFID on tollroads that we operate,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang.
Header photo by Marianne Bermudez for Inquirer.net
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
