A Philippines toll road has become the first in the country to launch an RFID-based electronic toll collection (ETC) system. The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp (MPTC), which is the concessionaire for the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex), has launched EasyDrive, a new prepaid paper-thin battery-less sticker that uses RFI
A Philippines toll road has become the first in the country to launch an RFID-based electronic toll collection (ETC) system. The Metro Pacific Tollways Corp (MPTC), which is the concessionaire for the Manila-Cavite Expressway (Cavitex), has launched EasyDrive, a new prepaid paper-thin battery-less sticker that uses RFID technology.
The 14km expressway links the capital, Metropolitan Manila, with the southern province of Cavite, and is used by an average of 110,000 vehicles per day. MPTC expects a 13% penetration rate for its EasyDrive services within the next 6 months, and also plans to introduce the system on the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) before the end of the year, as part of its goal of inter-operability on its tollway network.
Motorists only need to slow down, not make a full stop, to pay their toll, as the RFID system can perform transactions at 3 to 4 seconds per vehicle.
The Cavitex Infrastructure (CIC) and Philippine Long Distance Telephone (PLDT) have installed a fiber optic backbone along the Cavitex, as part of a major systems upgrade related to toll collection, telecommunications and security operations.
Other upgrades include the completion of a Toll Collection Migration system, which consists of the improvement of the telecommunication system and installation of surveillance cameras that will enable traffic control room personnel to monitor the expressway.