Credit and debit cards now accepted on Highway 2000 East-West

Motorists travelling along Highway 2000 East-West are now able to use their debit and credit cards to pay the toll. 

Managing Director of TransJamaican Highway Limited, Ivan Anderson told The Gleaner that this form of payment is accepted at its Portmore, Vineyards, Spanish Town and May Pen toll plazas.

“We started testing in Spanish Town in November of 2023 and following this period of testing, credit card use became available at all our toll plazas from the beginning of February 2024,” he said. 

He noted that it is part of the company's commitment to make its highways easier to use. 

“Customers have been increasingly expressing the need to be able to utilise other forms of payment other than cash,” he said.

He added that in its bid to make the highways more user friendly, TransJamaican Highway Limited has also allowed customers to get their tag in the manual lanes at the toll plazas, 24 hours per day, and they are now able to see their actual balances on the screens in the lanes.

Further, he said toll lanes are now modified to operate either as tag or manual lanes. This he said has allowed greater flexibility in changing the mix of tag versus manual lanes as the need arises. 

Although he noted that only 10 per cent of customers are using their bank cards to pay their tolls, more than 90 per cent use it to top up their accounts in the lane which he said makes it more convenient. 

“We expect the use of credit cards will continue to increase the use of our t-tags,” he said, added that currently, 40 per cent of its customers use tags. 

Anderson said the company will be offering even more ways to top up this year, including the use of WhatsApp to connect with TransJamaican Highway Limited, identify their account and top up their account via credit without any human intervention.

He shared that they will also begin testing integration of the credit card machines into the toll system. 

“This will allow the tap of the credit card to automatically open the toll barrier without the intervention of a toll collector for an even quicker and seamless transaction,” he said.

- Sashana Small 

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