SMC expressways 100% cashless ready, shift to RFID extended to Nov 30 due to high demand

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C5 Toll Plaza Northbound
Photo from THEPHILBIZNEWS/MAS

By Alithea De Jesus

Following the Department of Transportation issued Department Order No. 2020-012, which mandates expressway users to pay their toll using contactless payment systems via automated transactions that would address the health and safety concerns amid the pandemic.

SMC announced that all their expressways are ready for 100% cashless tolls by Nov 2, albeit the deadline for motorists to shift to RFID is extended to Nov 30 due to high demand for the RFID.

All the operated tollways of San Miguel Corporation (SMC) — the Southern Tagalog Arterial Road (STAR), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), the Skyway System, NAIA Expressway, and the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEX) —  is ready to implement full cashless toll collection on November 2, as mandated by the government, the company said in a statement.

However, the surge in the number of motorists rushing to convert to the Autosweep RFID system has resulted in long queues at the installation stations, particularly these past two weeks. As such, many motorists have yet to secure their RFID stickers, even as the date of implementation draws near.

For this reason, the company said it would be extending the issuance of its free RFID stickers to November 30.

“By November 2, all lanes at our toll plazas will be fully capable and converted to electronic toll collection, in full compliance with the government’s mandate. However, after careful study and deliberation, and especially in consideration of so many motorists who have not been able to secure an Autosweep RFID account because of the volume of applications we have today, we have decided to extend the deadline to November 30,” the company said.

“This means that from Nov. 2 to 30, vehicles without RFID will still be allowed to enter the expressways. Hopefully, this will give more time for motorists to get their RFID stickers,” the company said.

However, SMC emphasized that November 30 will be the absolute deadline. After which, vehicles without RFID stickers will not be allowed to enter SMC-operated tollways including Skyway, SLEX, NAIAX, STAR Tollways and TPLEX.

Motorists who do not conform to the government mandate will have to be apprehended and issued a citation ticket, it said.

To provide more convenience to motorists, SMC has set up installation and reloading lanes at toll plaza entry points, in addition to the installation and reloading stations already set up in strategic locations in Metro Manila and Luzon provinces.

Here’s a list of SMC’s Autosweep RFID Stations and Toll Plazas as of October 23, 2020:

Skyway/NAIAX:

Open 24/7

1. C5 Customer Service Center Southbound

2. Old NAIAX Drive-Thru Westbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

3. C5 Toll Plaza Northbound

4. Petron Dasmariñas

5. Petron Valle Verde

6. Shell Magallanes

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

7. Bicutan Toll Plaza Northbound

8. Nichols Toll Plaza Southbound

9. Skyway Runway Toll Plaza Northbound

10. Sucat Southbound Exit

Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

11. NAIAX Main Toll Plaza A & B

SLEX

Open 24/7

12. Southwoods Toll Plaza Northbound

13. After Calamba Entry Toll Gate

14. Eton Toll Plaza Northbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

15. Ayala Greenfield Customer Service Center

16. Southwoods Customer Service Center Northbound

17. Sta. Rosa Customer Service Center Northbound

18. Sta. Rosa Customer Service Center Southbound

19. Cabuyao Toll Plaza Southbound

20. Susana Heights Toll Plaza Southbound

21. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Northbound

22. Mamplasan Toll Plaza Southbound

23. Filinvest Toll Plaza

24. Calamba Customer Service Center Northbound (After Toll Gate)

25. Petron Evia

26. Petron San Pedro Southbound

27. Shell Mamplasan Northbound

28. Shell Putatan Southbound

29. Caltex MCX

30. TOTAL SLEX Northbound

31. Southwoods Mall Terminal 1

Open from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

32. Sta. Rosa Toll Plaza Southbound

33. Cabuyao Toll Plaza Northbound

Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

34. Alabang Entry Toll Gate Southbound

35. Petron Silangan (KM.44) Southbound

STAR

Open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

36. Sto. Tomas Drive-Thru Northbound

37. Lipa Drive-Thru Southbound

38. Batangas Drive-Thru Southbound

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

39. STAR Toll Lipa Customer Service Center (Tambo Exit)

40. Petron Lipa Northbound

41. Petron Malvar Southbound

42. Petron Ibaan (KM. 86) Northbound

TPLEX

Open 24/7

43. TPLEX Tarlac Main Office Northbound

Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

44. Petron Pura Northbound

45. Petron Pura Southbound

Open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

46. Tarlac Toll Plaza

47. Victoria Toll Plaza

48. Pura Toll Plaza

49. Carmen Toll Plaza

50. Urdaneta Toll Plaza

51. Rosario Toll Plaza

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