The Ministry of Transportation indicated that, among the objectives of this system, “increasing operational and logistical efficiencies” stands out in the mobility of the country’s highways< /h2>
Stock image. This is how electronic tolls work in Colombia. Photo: Ministry of Transportation
Since March 3, Colombia began operating the Electronic Collection Interoperability System under the Colpass brand, a method through which Users of the country’s highways can pay electronic tolls through the same device. Therefore, if you still don’t know it or don’t know how it works, here we tell you what it is about.
Although the electronic collection of tolls already existed in the country, the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure, Olga Lucía Ramírez, explained that, thanks to the Interoperability System, people who move along Colombian highways will be able to “cancel tolls regardless of the TAG provider” (the stickers that incorporate a chip and with which electronic tolls are paid).
“The electronic toll interoperability system adds an articulating component, where the user will be able to pay the toll fee with a single electronic device on board, known as TAG, regardless of the person responsible for the toll or the device provider” , specified the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure in dialogue with the newspaper El Espectador.
According to the latest report from the Ministry of Transportation, to date, there are 12 tolls that already have this system in the country: Mondoñedo, Ramal Soacha, La Tebaida, Siberia, Caiquero, and Bicentenario, in Cundinamarca, Galapa and Juan Mina, in Atlántico, Copacabana and Las Palmas in Antioquia. And the tolls of the Tunel de la Línea in Quindío and Tolima.
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In addition, at the moment there are four intermediaries authorized under the Colpass brand to acquire the TAG: Gopass, Copiloto, Facilpass and Flypass.
“It is worth remembering that paying the toll electronically does not have any extra surcharge. Thanks to the great teamwork that has been carried out by the Government of Colombia with private actors, we invite users to take advantage of all the benefits of the interoperability system”, indicated the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure.
How does the electronic toll payment system work in Colombia?
Toll on one of the highways in Colombia. Photo: Colprensa-MinTransporte.
A sensor, installed in the 12 tolls that currently have the electronic payment system, detects the TAG sticker located on the vehicle and, every time you go through a toll, the device will automatically deduct the respective rate, as reported by the newspaper El Espectador.
To acquire your TAG, the same outlet explained that you must contact one of the intermediaries authorized by the Ministry of Transportation to provide the service, whose fee will be established for each of them and will be paid only once.
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Once you have your TAG, you can recharge the sticker for physical or electronic means, depending on what the intermediary indicates. Thus, each time it passes through one of the readers, the respective cost of the toll will be deducted. Please note that, if you do not have credit on the device, the system will not allow you to go through the toll.
According to the Ministry of Transport, between The benefits of this technology platform are “guaranteeing the security, privacy and transparency of information”, in addition to allowing “increasing operational and logistical efficiencies for all the people who transit through the national territory”.
The objective of the portfolio is that, as of October 30 of this year, the 179 tolls in Colombia have a lane to carry out the electronic payment.