NLEX to spend PHP 1.4B on speed cameras, license plate recognition

Tech upgrades on NLEX to amount PHP 1.4 billion

As a motorist who frequently uses the expressways, you don’t want to get charged the farthest point toll fee after passing through a barrier-up gate and the system was not able to detect your RFID tag. To avoid instances like this, North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) Corporation has invested PHP 1.4 billion to ensure seamless toll transactions across all of its toll plazas and improve safety with additional speed cameras.

According to NLEX Corp., this significant investment includes enhancements to all of its 315 toll plazas with Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR) cameras capable of tracking vehicles that are using the expressway without a valid RFID installed, as well as those with valid RFIDs but with insufficient load. This ALPR upgrade comes just in time as the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) will reimplement the "No RFID, No Entry" starting March 15.

“Over the years, NLEX Corporation has shown its commitment to providing world-class service. By benchmarking its technologies against those used in other countries, we aim to provide greater accessibility and convenience to all motorists at NLEX, SCTEX, and NLEX Connector,” said NLEX Corporation OIC and Chief Finance Officer, Maria Theresa Wells.

Additionally, the RFID scanners on toll plazas will be replaced with newer high-frequency antennas capable of reading RFID stickers more efficiently. These upgrades aim to meet the critical requirements to enhance overall customer satisfaction, which includes achieving a 98% RFID readability rate, ensuring vehicle detection at toll lanes within one second for all classes, and providing accurate vehicle classification.

More speed cameras

Also part of NLEX Corporation’s PHP 1.4 billion investment is the installation of more speed cameras along its 84-kilometer stretch. NLEX Corp. says that these additional speed cameras will strengthen traffic law enforcement and complement these toll system enhancements, helping mitigate the dangers of speeding for the safety of motorists. Other upgrades include the replacement of toll lane computers and the installation of the Plaza Computer System (PCS) and Video Enhancement System (VES) servers in NLEX and SCTEX.