MANILA, Philippines — Motorists may soon benefit from the planned expansion of the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), which is expected to feature a barrierless toll collection system by 2027.
“We need to have it (barrierless) approved by the government. They will review our proposal to see whether it is acceptable—the cost and the impact on the motorist, as well as the mechanism for the return on investment,” Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) President and Chief Executive Officer Jose Ma. K. Lim said.
“Once it is approved, maybe we can implement it within two years. If it is approved by the end of the year, then by 2027,” he added.
MPTC said it will allocate up to P10 billion for the rollout of the barrierless toll system.
The initial phase will involve introducing cashless transactions, to be followed by a unified radio-frequency identification (RFID) wallet system for interoperability across expressways.
The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) emphasized that cashless toll collection is necessary for the proposed nationwide interoperability of electronic toll collection.
The TRB also aims to launch a standardized RFID wallet system applicable across different tollways.
Lim noted that the company’s proposal to build a skyway along NLEX is under engineering review.
“We have also recently submitted to the government the multi-lane free flow that will allow us to go barrierless,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Department of Transportation delayed the full rollout of cashless toll collection without setting a definite timeline.
Expansion of other expressways
MPTC is also eyeing the expansion of the Cebu–Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX), which connects Bacalso and Lapu-Lapu City to the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA).
“In fact, we have already acquired the LLEX (Lapu-Lapu Expressway) concession to build the connection between the bridge and the airport. So, we are addressing the problems in Cebu,” Lim said, adding that Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) will support the project.
The company has also partnered with a European firm to complete the extension of the expressway, with funding ranging from P5 billion to P10 billion.
However, MPTC admitted that the project has only reached 30 percent of its projected traffic volume, falling short of the target of 50,000 motorists per day.
MPTC serves as the tollway division of MPIC, one of the three main Philippine entities under Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., alongside Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT Inc.
