Beginning March 15, 2025, all vehicles must have a valid electronic toll collection (ETC) device in order to use toll expressways, the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) has announced.
Specifically, the ETC device is the RFID sticker attached to a vehicle and linked to an RFID wallet; the sticker is then scanned whenever the vehicle passes through a toll plaza, and the corresponding toll fee is collected electronically from the RFID wallet. This enables cashless and contactless transactions along expressways, which the government first tried to implement in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
At present, there are two RFID systems used for electronic toll collection: Autosweep, for tollways under SMC Infrastructure, and Easytrip, for tollways operated by Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC). To know which tollway uses which RFID system, check out this feature.
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When a vehicle that doesn’t have an RFID sticker or valid ETC device enters an expressway, two things will happen. First, the vehicle will be allowed to enter the toll plaza, but it shall be required to have an RFID sticker installed at a designated area or the nearest installation site upon entering. Second, the driver shall be issued either a temporary operator’s permit or a show-cause order for violating the ‘no valid ETC device, no entry’ policy under Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001 (JMC 2024-001). This shall be issued by personnel deputized by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).
Under JMC 2024-001, not having a valid ETC device carries the following penalties:
Penalties for ‘no valid ETC device’ (no RFID installed or dilapidated RFID sticker)
- First offense – P1,000
- Second offense – P2,000
- Subsequent offenses – P5,000 per offense
“It has been observed that the dedicated toll lanes used by cash-paying motorists are usually congested with long lines of motor vehicles, and the same often hamper the fast and efficient flow of traffic leading to the ETC designated lanes,” the TRB said in its official statement. “It is expected that a better and more efficient flow of traffic will result once these lanes are strictly used for ETC only.
“All motorists who have yet to avail of ETC Device/RFID Sticker are thus encouraged to do so this early, to avoid penalties and for a problem-free travel along toll expressways.”
It added that toll concessionaires, operators, and RFID service providers will have more RFID installation sites, physical RFID loading stations, and other means to load RFID wallets leading up to March 15. The installation of ETC devices/RFID stickers is free of charge.
On the subject of RFID load, JMC 2024-001 provides penalties for this; however, the TRB announcement makes no mention of imposing fines and penalties upon motorists who do not have sufficient RFID balance upon entering tollways. The statement only stressed that RFID wallets have no required maintaining balance.
