San Miguel Corporation (SMC) chairman and CEO Ramon S. Ang said that, in line with government directives, the company’s infrastructure arm has already installed 522 ALPR cameras at all its toll plazas and gantries across the 220-kilometer expressway network it operates.

The special cameras are designed to further improve vehicle throughput by supporting the existing Autosweep radio frequency identification (RFID) electronic toll collection system.

“All of our toll plazas and gantries are equipped with ALPR cameras, which support our RFID antennas, which read the account information of motorists. With help from artificial intelligence (AI) and automation, our ALPR cameras cross-match motorist information from RFID tags to ensure customer data is accurate, and correct toll is debited from motorists’ Autosweep wallets,” explained Ang.

“From this point on, all our new expressway projects will include ALPR cameras in their design.”

Ang said that SMC Infra’s Autosweep team had long been working to improve the existing system.

“We credit our hardworking software engineers and developers who have continued to refine our Autosweep system. Our AI-powered Autosweep is proof that our Filipino software developers and engineers can excel anywhere, given the right opportunity and environment for them to create groundbreaking IT solutions,” Ang added.

Ang said that the ALPR cameras will serve as a backup for validation across SMC’s expressway network, as RFID antennas and tags will remain as the primary means to collect toll from motorists.

With the new system in place, each lane at toll plazas across SMC’s 220-kilometer expressway network will have both an ALPR camera and an RFID scanner, which will start reading vehicle information some distance away.

Vehicle information will then be sent to servers where AI will cross-match the information, ensuring accuracy and enabling faster throughput.

“There are still a number of key milestones that government needs to reach before full implementation of barrier-less expressways. But essentially, in line with government mandates, we’ve made the necessary investment and our barrier-less system is already physically in place and ready to be used at any time,” Ang said.

In fact, Ang added, the entire stretch of South Luzon Expressway and the at-grade section of the Skyway System have begun initial testing of the system by implementing “barriers up” at toll plazas as early as last year.

He said this has also helped the toll operator address local government concerns about traffic congestion on roads leading to and from expressways, due to increased vehicular volume and economic activity.

“Our host LGUs had been seeking our help to reduce traffic congestion at entry points along SLEX. Through pilot-testing of the ALPR cameras, we have been able to address their concern. We’ve reduced the need for motorists to fully stop at toll plazas,” Ang said.

“Our expressway network does not operate in a vacuum. They are part of our country’s wider road network. Congestion at toll roads can affect traffic on public roads, and vice versa. That is why it’s important that we continue to work with LGUs and all stakeholders.”

Ang also expressed gratitude to the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the Department of Transportation (DoTR) for creating policies that pave the way for efficient travel across expressways.

“SMC remains committed to investing in our expressway network, so they can be at par with the best in the world, and with the hope that continuous upgrades and expansion will sustain our country’s economic growth,” Ang said.