Don’t forget to get your Panapass

If you have been using the city toll highways (corridor norte & sur) lately you have probably noticed the growing lineups in the “Tarjeta” and “Recargar” lanes. Almost all of the lanes have changed to “Panapass”. This is perhaps a simple way of convincing drivers to conform to the new toll system before the deadline.

As of May 1 you will need to have a Panapass to use the Corridor Sur and Norte. What is a panapass you ask? It is a sticker that will replace the Corridor Sur and Norte cards. The new system of collecting tolls aims to alleviate traffic on the Corridors by not allowing drivers to recharge at the tollbooths.

Despite the end goal being traffic alleviation, with no way to stop people from entering the corridors, and no real way to get them off, we are curious to see what the corridors will look like the day the cards stop working.

My advice is to get your Panapass soon! It is easy, and right now it is also free. While it is unclear what the charge for a Panapass will be after the deadline (May 1), most of the workers said it would be around $15.

There are two locations where you can get the Panapass installed one located on Via Israel (near Atlapa), and the other is off of Omar Torrijos (near Albrook). Both have extended hours, from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday to Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

You do not need an appointment. However, you must bring with you a photocopy of your cedula (should be the cedula the car was registered with), along with a photocopy of the car’s registration.

You will have the option to pre pay with cash or set up automatic credit card payments. Your Panapass will be loaded with $10.00 at the time of installation. However, it will not be activated until you visit one of the recharging centers in the following locations:

E-Pago, Súper 99, Mega Depot, Supermercados Rey, Romero, Mr. Precio, Farmacias Metro Plus, Estaciones Delta autorizadas and Movil Cash.