Ever felt that automating toll collection on our expressways sometimes feels counterproductive given how it slows down transactions instead of speeding up the process? Not gonna lie, it’s frustrating when you see the cash-lane queue moving smoothly while you’re stuck waiting for the cars ahead to get whatever RFID issue they have sorted.
The NLEX Corporation is looking to improve the situation on the North Luzon Expressway with a P1.2 billion investment to upgrade its infrastructure, toll collection system, and account management system. With these improvements, the company says motorists “can expect faster recording of passages, balances, and reloads as well as easier tracking of individual and corporate accounts.”
The toll plazas in Balintawak, Karuhatan, Paso de Blas, Meycauayan, Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Tabang, Santa Rita, Pulilan, San Simon, San Fernando, Mexico, and Angeles are set to get new equipment that “will boost operational efficiency” for faster and more accurate transactions. Toll-fare and lane-status indicators, traffic control gates, automatic vehicle classification systems, and loop indicators are among the equipment that will be upgraded within the year.
NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi Bautista says the company has been installing new equipment and implementing system enhancements since last year. Improved data transmission between the Easytrip and NLEX toll collection systems, he adds, now allows for immediate recording of lane entries and exits as well as of top-ups through quick reloading channels.
“We keep on investing in innovative solutions to make our processes more efficient and most importantly, make the experience of our motorists more pleasant and comfortable as possible,” Bautista said.
We’ll be seeing how much these improvements will speed up the queue at toll plazas within the year. And while it’s true that the equipment is sometimes to blame for the long wait, don’t be that guy who holds everyone up because of insufficient load in your RFID account. You can check your balance beforehand via the MPT DriveHub app or by texting BAL (space) followed by your
