The House of Representatives led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez will summon officials of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) to have them explain why RFIDs of vehicles cannot be read at the toll gates which resulted in a traffic jam on Holy Wednesday.
According to Deputy Majority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo, the office of the Office of the Speaker has received several complaints on the matter.
“A lot of people were angry and reported to Speaker Romualdez that their RFID stickers were not being read when passing through the toll plaza, which caused a very long traffic in NLEX that day,” Tulfo said. “What is the use of RFID if they [toll personnel would still] ask for the toll card at the toll booth.”Tulfo also sought a review of the franchise granted to operators of NLEX “if they can’t fix (the problem).”
As ollways faced traffic jams akin to “Carmageddon” during Holy Week, House Deputy Minority Leader and Bagong Henerasyon Rep. Bernadette Herrera renewed her call for the swift approval of her bill aimed at tackling the issue head-on.
House Bill 8161, which she filed in May last year, aims to classify non-payment of toll fees as a traffic violation and requires automated cashless toll collection to improve road safety and ease congestion on tollways, particularly during peak holiday seasons.
“The time for action is now. We cannot afford to delay the approval of this bill any longer, especially considering the urgent need to improve traffic flow and ensure the safety of motorists,” Herrera said.
Herrera’s bill introduces innovative tolling systems like the Open Road Tolling and the Multi-Lane Fast Flow (MLFF), streamlining collection without requiring vehicles to stop at toll booths, provided they have a working Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tag and sufficient funds.
These systems promise reduced travel time, improved traffic flow, and environmental benefits, with Herrera citing successful implementations in other Asian countries, such as Taiwan’s MLFF system. Herrera stressed that passing the bill would enable the Philippines to adopt the MLFF system, effectively addressing significant traffic congestion issues on tollways. “Besides being a major inconvenience for drivers, our country lags behind in tollway speed, as we’re the only ASEAN nation mandating a complete stop on supposed expressways,” she said. An integral provision in the bill designates non-payment of toll fees as a traffic violation, complete with associated fines and penalties, aiming to discourage any deliberate or accidental evasion of toll payments that could lead to traffic gridlock and accidents.
“By making non-payment of toll fees a traffic violation, we are sending a clear message that traffic rules must be followed. This is a fundamental step in ensuring the safety of our tollways,” Herrera said.
The bill enforces strict penalties for violations. The initial offense carries a P1,000 fine and one-month driver’s license suspension. On the second violation, the penalty heightens to P2,000, coupled with a three-month suspension.
For a third violation, the fine increases to P5,000 and a six-month suspension. Subsequent infringements automatically result in a one-year license suspension, contingent upon settling all outstanding obligations.
Fines collected through these penalties are directed towards the maintenance of road safety signage and enhancements in tollway enforcement, ultimately nurturing safer and more efficient road systems.
The measure also proposes the mandatory use of standardized RFID systems across all tollways in the country, with the aim of streamlining toll collection and enhancing the experience for commuters, motorists, and businesses.