Sen. Grace L. Poe (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Sen. Grace Poe backed the move of Transportation Secretary Vince Dizon to suspend the implementation of the Toll Regulatory Board鈥檚 (TRB) full cashless payment system on expressways.
鈥淭he no-cash scheme is ideal, but it cannot be imposed until operators can guarantee that all defects in the system are fixed, such as malfunctioning booms, unreadable stickers and broken RFIDs (radio-frequency identification). There should also be an option for motorists to pay in cash for unforeseen circumstances,鈥� Poe said in a statement on Sunday.
鈥淭he new DOTr secretary is heading in the right direction when he suspended the roll out of the full cashless payment on expressways,鈥� said Poe, who once headed the Senate committee on public services.
READ: Prove RFID devices reliability before fining drivers 鈥� Poe
The TRB previously said it will require that all vehicles passing through expressways be equipped with RFIDs to pay toll fees in a cashless system beginning March 15.
READ: New DOTr chief Dizon suspends full cashless payment on expressways
鈥淲ith the remaining issues regarding the electronic toll collection and operation unaddressed, the no-cash system might just unduly punish motorists,鈥� Poe said.
Support from ICT advocates鈥� party-list
Similarly, the Computer Literacy, Innovation, Connectivity and Knowledge (CLICK) party-list expressed support for Dizon鈥檚 move.
In a statement on Friday, CLICK called the implementation of the RFID system 鈥減remature,鈥� also citing technical issues like faulty barriers and 鈥渦nreliable鈥� top-up mechanisms.
鈥淭hese systemic flaws have led to traffic congestion, unwarranted penalties, and frustrations among motorists,鈥� CLICK said.
鈥淭he decision of Secretary Dizon to prioritize system improvements before any mandatory implementation is a welcome move and a victory for Filipino motorists,鈥� the group said.