MANILA — The Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Friday started issuing warnings to expressway users without a license plate or those using a temporary or improvised plate.

In just an hour, the agency was able to record over 100 of them passing through the Skyway Del Monte Toll Plaza in Quezon City.

This is in preparation for the planned implementation of the barrier-free tollway system before the end of the year.

The government aims to speed up the flow of traffic in expressways by directing toll operators to remove the barriers in toll gates, and eventually getting rid of the toll booths themselves.

“Ang plaka ang nagiging identification ng sasakyan. If we cannot identify the vehicle, at barrier-less na po yan, eh paano natin ipapatupad yung barrier-less? Paano kung di magbayad, di ba? Paano kung magpasaway sa loob ng expressway?” said LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza.

Mendoza said motorists no longer have an excuse not to have a permanent license plate since the LTO has already addressed its backlog for motor vehicle plates.

“Wala na pong kulang na plaka. We have already inventoried. Lahat ng plaka nasa dealer po. They just have to call their dealers,” he said.

Meanwhile, many motorists said they are in favor of the barrier-free system.

“Yung mga tolls, doon din naman nagbo-bottleneck minsan yung traffic. I think makakatulong din talaga,” said Simon.

Another motorist even wondered why it is still not being implemented despite being in the works for so long.

“Mainam nga po sana kung asap e, diba? Yung mga long weekend especially, nako po e, Diyos ko, oras ang binibilang sa toll gate para makalabas,” said Elmer Chavez.

According to the LTO, it is currently conducting coordination meetings with toll operators and the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) to achieve its target of implementing the barrier-free toll roads system ahead of the Christmas travel rush.

But Mendoza said this will first be done by way of a pilot run.

“Infrastructure yan eh. Di ba gagawin nila yung mga reader machines? Ide-define din natin with the expressways kung saan tayo ready. Ready ba tayo sa lahat ng entrance and exits ng expressway? Soft launch would include a territorial area where we can launch it,” he explained.

The TRB also stressed the importance of testing out the system first to ensure its accuracy and efficiency and so as not to inconvenience motorists.

“It has to undergo tests to ensure the system is reliable, accurate and efficient and will attain its objective of facilitating transaction and travel time at the toll plazas,” TRB spokesperson Julius Corpuz said in a statement.

The Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation, which runs several expressways such as the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), earlier said that apart from coming up with the technology, they also have to wait for the regulations and corresponding penalties against motorists who don’t have an RFID sticker or don’t have enough load.

According to the LTO, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista already signed this month the department order which lays down the regulatory framework for the program.

But they are still waiting for it to be published before the start of implementation.