Be Considerate: Load up RFID accounts to avoid tollway delays

Inadequate or zero balance RFID accounts cited as cause of tollway congestion

Skyway and NAIA Expressway tollway users are being urged by operator SMC Infrastructure to keep a sufficient maintaining balance in their Autosweep RFID accounts to help reduce traffic delays at toll plazas.

The company cited data from May 1 to 7, 2024 as a concrete example. There were 408,290 total transactions at the NAIAX alone, out of that 115,785 were flagged down for manual collection due to no load. This is 28.36% of the total volume during that 1 week alone.

"We apologize for any inconvenience and are committed to improving traffic conditions. Maintaining sufficient funds in RFID accounts is crucial for smooth operations at toll plazas,” SMC Infrastructure said.

To further enhance traffic management, the company calls for stronger enforcement measures to deter habitual non-compliance from repeat offenders. 

The Toll Regulatory Board’s (TRB) standing order is to defer penalties for motorists with insufficient funds or those who have not transitioned to the electronic toll collection system and continue to pay in cash. 

Despite a high adoption rate of 97% for electronic toll collection, cash payments still slow down the processing times at toll plazas.

“While we continue to encourage our users to ensure they have sufficient balance or register their vehicles to Autosweep, many still do not fully utilize the system. Unfortunately, this has a significant impact on other motorists, especially when combined with other factors such as the limited carrying capacity of expressways and higher vehicle volumes during peak hours,” the company added.

SMC Infrastructure says they have benchmarked their RFID system with a 99% read rate when stickers are properly functioning. However, this efficiency can be compromised by defective stickers due to wear, tear, or dirt.

Motorists are advised to regularly inspect their RFID stickers and utilize the free replacement service available at any Autosweep RFID office or major toll plazas to ensure optimal functionality. The company also advises against tailgating and recommends maintaining a safe distance between vehicles to avoid RFID malfunctions and ensure smooth toll transactions. 

During periods of extreme congestion, SMC Infrastructure raises toll barriers when queues exceed 500 meters, allowing free flow of traffic while continuing to record transactions for subsequent billing.

Looking ahead, SMC Infrastructure plans to widen roads and add more toll gates to accommodate increasing traffic volumes and enhance overall traffic management. The company is also conducting a dry run for an automatic license plate recognition system to operate alongside the existing Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) system. This integration aims to streamline toll processing and further reduce congestion.