Nlex crafting plans to solve RFID mess

Nlex Corp. is creating several action plans to comply with the requirements set by Valenzuela City Mayor Rex Gatchalian to lift the suspension of its business permit in the city, including the transfer of its sticker installation and account reloading lanes to improve traffic.

In a statement, the company said it has committed to create specific solutions to “various traffic-causing problems such as RFID stickers that easily wear out, sensors that cannot promptly read RFID stickers, and missing load.”

“Nlex Corp. also commits to transfer the existing RFID sticker installation and account reloading in the Karuhatan and Mindanao toll plazas effective immediately in order to improve traffic flow in the nearby areas,” the statement read.

To recall, Valenzuela Mayor Rex T. Gatchalian on Monday temporarily suspended the business permit of Nlex Corp. to operate within his jurisdiction due to the heavy traffic that was caused by the glitches in its digital toll collection system.

Earlier, Nlex Corp. said the glitches in the cashless toll collections system were “birthing pains” that was exacerbated by the long holiday, the lifting of the truck ban and number coding scheme, and seasonal build up.

“We wish to assure our customers that we will continue working hard to improve their daily expressway journey. We aim to ensure a more hassle-free implementation of the cashless toll payment system, and to give the best possible travel experience to our customers,” the statement read.

All expressway operators were required to implement full cashless toll collections schemes on their tollways to curb the spread of Covid-19. The policy was implemented on December 1.

The government is currently giving leeway to motorists who failed to have RFID stickers installed on their vehicles by allowing operators to convert all toll plazas into so-called “stickering lanes.”

By January 11, only select toll plazas will remain as stickering lanes. On the same day, motorists passing through expressways without RFID stickers will be apprehended.

“Nlex management is one with the Valenzuela City government and other Metro Manila LGUs [local government units] and the MMDA [Metropolitan Manila Development Authority] in taking concrete steps to alleviate the daily heavy traffic congestion in the metropolis, especially as we approach the Christmas season,” the statement read.

This article was originally published by Business Mirror.