Well, here we are, December 1, 2020. If the date holds no meaning to you, then you either don’t own a motor vehicle or probably haven’t been paying attention to all the RFID drama the past few weeks.
Today marks the beginning of the Department of Transportation’s (DOTr) transition period towards 100% cashless expressways that ends on January 11, 2021. In line with this, major throughfares like the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), South Luzon Expressway (SLEX), and Manila–Cavite Expressway (CAVITEX) have begun converting regular toll lanes into RFID installation lanes.
The move is going through a few rough patches right now, to put it lightly. Motorists were met by long lines and traffic jams on expressways this morning and, naturally, they aren’t happy.
ABS-CBN News’ Jacque Manabat and Jervis Manahan were on the ground this morning covering the buildup of traffic along NLEX. Apparently, cars and trucks were already beginning to line up at the Mindanao toll plaza as early as 5:25am. Look:
If you aren’t looking to start your month with angry motorists’ tweets, you’d best stay away from Twitter. It looks like a lot of drivers stuck in traffic are taking to the social media platform to vent their frustration.
It probably isn’t a good idea to start pointing fingers now, either. Remember, guys, we’re all stuck in this together.
Will the DOTr or expressway operators make any adjustments? Who knows. One thing’s for sure: This kind of traffic cannot keep up for the rest of the transition period. Were you stuck in traffic on an expressway this morning? How long did it take you to get to your destination? Let us know in the comments.
