Metro Pacific Tollways invests in mobility app for customers

METRO Pacific Tollways Corp. (MPTC) officially introduced on Thursday its MPT DriveHub, a smartphone application that houses the company’s mobility solutions for customers.

The application, which will be available on March 1, allows motorists to manage their trips through its three key features: RFID or radio-frequency identification transactions, trip planning, and roadside assistance.

This means that users will be able to manage their RFID accounts, whether to check their balances or reload; calculate their toll fees to prepare payments ahead; know where the nearest pit stops are for dining, bathroom breaks, gas-ups, and shops; as well as get relevant traffic advisory and updates.

“MPT DriveHub allows users to immediately request for roadside assistance by readily having the expressway hotline number in the app, so help is one call away wherever you are on NLEX (North Luzon Expressway), SCTEX (Subic–Clark–Tarlac Expressway), and CAVITEX (Manila–Cavite Expressway) or CALAX (Cavite–Laguna Expressway),” the company said in a statement.

At a briefing, MPTC President and Chief Executive Officer Rodrigo E. Franco said the company’s vision for the MPT DriveHub is “to become a superapp for motorists.”

“It’s going to be a superapp for all your mobility needs to make your journey and travel more pleasant,” he added.

MPT Mobility Vice-President for Business Development Mark Richmund M. De Leon said the company is already developing the app “to introduce more services in the future such as e-wallets, motorists’ marketplace, and electric vehicle charging locator map to equip our motorists with more solutions.”

“We’re open to partnerships and app integrations to accelerate the MPT DriveHub’s service offerings,” he also said.

MPTC noted that aside from NLEX, SCTEX, CAVITE, and CALAX, the application will also be available for Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway.

MPTC is the tollways unit of Metro Pacific Investments Corp., one of three key Philippine units of Hong Kong-based First Pacific Co. Ltd., the others being Philex Mining Corp. and PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a majority stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Arjay L. Balinbin