Motorists with no tollway RFID, insufficient load will be fined effective August 31

If your vehicle has a damaged RFID sticker or still doesn’t have one, you’ll want to keep out of the electronic toll collection (ETC) lanes at expressway toll plazas. The same goes if your RFID wallet has insufficient load for your journey.

Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, entitled ‘Revised guidelines for all vehicles traveling on toll expressways,’ will take effect on August 31, 2024. The circular was issued by the Department of Transportation (DOTr), the Land Transportation Office (LTO), and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB), and effectively repeals, amends, or modifies previous regulations and issuances related to the use of RFIDs on expressways.

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Here are the violations and their respective fines:

Tollways RFID violations and fines effective August 31, 2024:

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

Insufficient load

• First offense – P500
• Second offense – P1,000
• Subsequent offenses – P2,500 per offense

Fraudulent or falsified ETC

• First offense – P1,000
• Second offense – P2,000
• Subsequent offenses – P5,000 per offense

PHOTO BY Leandre Grecia

A show-cause order (SCO) will be delivered to the Driver-Violator, or to the registered Owner/Operator if the driver at the time of the apprehension was not identified. If the Owner/Operator fails to provide the Driver-Violator’s name as required by the SCO, then the motor vehicle shall be put on alarm until a name is provided, and shall also be charged an additional fine of P2,000 per violation.

If the owner of a motor vehicle ignores notifications to have their defective, dilapidated, or phased-out RFID sticker replaced, the vehicle shall also be put on alarm until a replacement RFID sticker has been installed.

If a motor vehicle is involved in three violations under JMC 2024-001 within a 12-month period, the subsequent penalties are:

• the motor vehicle may be put on alarm, or
• the driver’s license of the Driver-Violator may be confiscated, or
• the motor vehicle’s Certificate of Registration may be suspended for a period not exceeding 90 days, requiring the immediate surrender of its license plate

Check out our RFID-related guides here:

• Quick guide: Here’s a really easy way to check your Autosweep balance
• Everything you need to know about reloading your Autosweep RFID
• Quick guide: How to easily check your Easytrip balance
• A full guide on reloading your Easytrip RFID