Motorists without valid electronic toll collection (ETC) devices or insufficient load will be barred from using dedicated ETC lanes starting 31 August this year, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) said on Tuesday.
Motorists using the expressways without electronic toll collection (ETC) devices or with insufficient balance will be prohibited from entering dedicated ETC lanes.
In a joint memorandum circular signed early this month, the TRB committed to enforce the prohibitions/restrictions against motorists entering dedicated ETC lanes with no valid ETC devices and with no sufficient load.
“These erring motorists represent 9 percent of all the motorists using the toll expressways who unfortunately are the ones causing the unnecessary delays and long queues at the toll plazas,” the TRB said.
The vast majority of toll expressway users, or 91 percent, are compliant and responsible ETC users and are often greatly inconvenienced by the erring motorists, according to the regulator.
“As a policy output/goal, with the said restrictions and/or prohibitions, and the corresponding fines and penalties for violation thereof, the implementation of the JMC intends to achieve a smoother and faster flow of traffic at the toll plazas, thereby saving time, money and resources,” the TRB said.
TRB said non-compliance subjects motorists to penalties including:
*No valid ETC device: P1,000 (first offense), P2,000 (second offense), P5,000 (subsequent);
*Insufficient load: P500 (first offense), P1,000 (second offense), P2,500 (subsequent);
*Fraudulent ETC: P1,000 (first offense), P2,000 (second offense), P5,000 (subsequent);
Vehicles exempted by law from the toll, and those so designated by the TRB, are exempt from these penalties although they are still required to have an ETC device as mandated.
San Miguel Corp., which operates the Skyway, the South Luzon Expressway, STAR Tollway and NAIAx, uses AutoSweep RFID tag, while Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., which operates Manila Cavite Expressway, C5 Link Expressway and Cavite Laguna Expressway, uses EasyTrip RFID tag for electronic toll collection.
