Pay upon exit: SMC Tollways roll out new single payment scheme

Now that the Christmas season has arrived, the flock of motorists traveling for the holidays means high traffic volume on expressways is to be expected. But just in time for December, SMC Infrastructure has rolled out its solution to minimize buildups on toll plazas.

Starting today, December 1, SMC Infrastructure is implementing its “Seamless Southern Tollways” program which basically eliminates the need for northbound and southbound motorists to do multiple toll stops within the expressways.

For now, southbound motorists will be the first to experience the new Seamless Southern Tollways program, while northbound traffic will benefit from the same setup by December 15. Integration of the NAIA Expressway is set for the first quarter of 2023.

In the current scheme, southbound motorists coming from the north and heading to as far as Batangas in the south, usually have to make five stops: Entry via the Del Monte Skyway 3 toll plaza, then another three stops at the Calamba, SLEX Greenfield, and Sto. Tomas toll plazas, and a final stop at their exit point. Under the new scheme effective today, this will be cut down to just two--at the entry and exit points.

To avoid the impression of being overcharged at the exit, SMC Infrastructure explains fees that used to be collected at the eliminated toll stops will be added to the total fees to be collected at the exit point.

For example: If you entered Skyway in Buendia and exited at STAR Tollway's Tambo exit, the toll payment that will reflect at the exit for Class 1 vehicles will be PHP 340. That's the combination of the PHP 260 toll fee from Skyway Buendia to SLEX Calamba Toll Plaza, the PHP 25 from SLEX Calamba Toll Plaza to SLEX Extension in Sto. Tomas, and the PHP 55 toll covering Sto. Tomas to the STAR Tollway Tambo exit.

SMC President Ramon Ang is also asking for the cooperation of motorists to help minimize traffic buildup, by ensuring their Autosweep accounts have sufficient balance and to use the cash lanes if they have insufficient balance.

“At the end of the day, what we want to achieve is to minimize traffic and the time our countrymen spend on the road. That is why we constantly invest to improve our infrastructure and the systems that help run them--so we can make sure trips are efficient, seamless, and as safe as possible for the public” said Ang.