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MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Department of Transportation (DOTr) has moved its plan to penalize motorists violating loading regulations on expressways in the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby areas next year, according to its chief Jaime Bautista.
Before this, the implementation was supposed to commence last August 31, but it was postponed until October 31.
鈥淭he DOTr has the tools to address congestion on major roads but is taking time for a thorough review to ensure these solutions meet motorists鈥� needs,鈥� Bautista said in a statement on Sunday.
READ: Revised toll expressway guidelines implementation suspended to Oct 1
鈥淧enalties may take effect starting January next year,鈥� he added.
Bautista explained that the Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 2024-001 was signed by the DOTr, Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), and Land Transportation Office (LTO). It aims 鈥渢o enforce cashless toll collection by encouraging motorists to install Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and maintain sufficient load when using TRB-controlled tollways.鈥�
DOTr further disclosed that 鈥渋nformation gathered from recent public consultations, including data on violators, will be analyzed to guide potential amendments to the JMC.鈥�
鈥淲e will implement the program, excluding the penalties,鈥� Bautista said.