Santiago’s intra-urban toll highway system, operated by private concessionaires, has been in operation since 2004. Tolls are charged using the Free Flow system, which identifies vehicles and processes payment without the vehicle having to slow down or stop.
In order to use this system, you’ll need a tag, which you can buy at any one of the highway concessionaires. Each has its own model that is compatible with the system. The tag contains an RFID that allows the concessionaire to identify your vehicle as you pass under the gates, or portals (pórticos), that are installed at regular intervals along the road.
Any vehicle using these roads— marked at on-ramps with a sign saying Televía o sistema compatible— must pay tolls using the Free Flow system. If you do not live in Santiago, you can purchase a pase diario (day pass) at certain service stations on the way into town. Vehicles without a tag or day pass will be fined, since the portals also take a photo of your license plate as you pass under them.
The portals, which emit an eerie lavender glow at night, read your tag and tell it to beep, usually either once or twice. One beep means all is well; two means there’s a problem (probably that the bill’s not paid) and you should get in touch with the company. Note that while you will buy your tag and register your vehicle in the system with one concessionaire, you will receive separate bills for each of the highways that you use. So if you’re getting two beeps on Costanera Norte, that’s who you need to talk to, even if your tag is from Autopista Central.
The highways are:
Links:
- Wikipedia’s Autopistas Urbanas de Santiago de Chile