The committee on appropriations鈥� budget deliberation for the 2025 proposed budget of the Department of Transportation on Wednesday, August 28, 2024. (Screenshot from the House of Representative/Youtube)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Motorists will not be penalized if they chance upon a broken radio frequency identification (RFID) reading machines on tollways, transportation officials said on Wednesday.
In the budget deliberations for the department, Alliance for Concerned Teachers Rep. France Castro said that the resolution to impose monetary fines on motorists with insufficient RFID load balance or no load at all is 鈥渆xcessive.鈥�
She asked the agency what the penalties would be for operators if motorists experience broken RFID reading machines even if they have valid and enough RFID load balance.
READ: Colmenares describes RFID fines as 鈥榥othing short of highway robbery鈥�
鈥淢adalas din akong nakakakita kapag dumadaan sa toll way, sira 鈥榶ong mga device. So kami naman 鈥榶ong naaabala. So ano naman 鈥榶ong magiging penalty kung sira, and I have sufficient fund for my RFID pero kapag kayo naman yung pumalpak at naharang kami roon, so ano naman yung penalty ng operators?鈥� the lawmaker asked.
(I always see broken devices on tollways, making us inconvenienced. So, what will be the penalty if it is broken and I have sufficient fund for my RFID but it鈥檚 your machines that are broken. What will be the penalty of operators?)
Assistant Secretary Vigor Mendoza III, Land Transportation Office (LTO) chief, said that the blame will be on the operators.
鈥淥n the part of the operators, kapag sira 鈥榶ong RFID reading machine, hindi po ipepenalize 鈥榶ong motorista. Kasalanan po ng expressway 鈥榶on,鈥� Mendoza said.
(On the part of the operators, the motorists will not be penalized if the RFID reading machine is broken. It鈥檚 the expressway鈥檚 fault.)
Alvin Carullo, executive director of Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), added that toll operators will face heavier penalties than the motorists.
鈥淭ungkol naman po sa toll operators, mayroon din po tayong guidelines po dyan鈥� Kinekwenta po yan. 1,500 [pesos]鈥� Mayroon po kasi syang formula sa doon sa ating minimum performance specification standards for toll collection system,鈥� Carullo noted.
(About the toll operators, we have guidelines for that鈥� We compute it. 1,500 [pesos]鈥� We have formula indicated in the minimum specification standards for toll collection system.)
鈥淕agarintiya ko po sa鈥檡o, mas mabigat ang penalty natin sa toll operators kaysa doon sa motorista,鈥� he added.
(I guarantee you, the penalty for toll operators is heavier than the one for the motorist.)
Castro then asked if the penalties will be brought in the national treasury, in which Carullo confirmed.
READ: Fines await those without RFID, with insufficient load by Aug. 31
The imposition of fines for the said offense is pursuant to the Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001 signed by the DOTr, LTO, and TRB last August 1.
It was originally expected to take effect on August 31, 2024. However, the implementation of the revised guidelines will be moved to October 1, 2024.
According to a statement released by the DOTr on Tuesday, the deferment is done to 鈥渇inetune expressway operations and further intensify the public information campaign to enable tollway users to comply with the new guidelines.鈥�