The government’s proposal to implement a MLFF (Multi-Lane Free Flow) electronic toll collection system here in Malaysia will be ready by the end of this year. We first heard of this sometime in mid-2008 where it was announced that a trial of a MLFF system sponsored by Mitsubishi would start at the LDP’s Sungai Penchala Toll plaza from November 2008 onwards.
Later it seems that this was changed to the Batu 3 toll plaza on the Federal Highway from December 2008 onwards, so it’s been running for about half a year now. I’m sure you’ve noticed one particular lane with eerie purplish lighting – that’s the test lane, which is shared with a SmartTAG lane.
Malaysians currently use the SmartTAG system (photo shown above) which is based on infrared. Of course as you know infrared is essentially light, and might be affected by car tints. The SmartTAG system also needs you to slow your car down significantly before it can pick up your SmartTAG. It is a two-piece system which uses a SmartTAG combined with a Touch n Go card.
The MLFF system currently on trial is a single piece unit (no separate Touch n Go card) that uses microwave transmission technology instead of infrared. There are approximately 1,000 users currently on the trial. It does not carry any value, and if it is stolen all you need to do is report it and the unit will be delinked from your account. There will be no toll lanes or automatic barriers – it will work via a gantry system. This allows you to just drive past the gantry and the appropriate toll collection will happen electronically and automatically.
In case you don’t know, a gantry is essentially a structure that goes overhead above the road. If you’ve been to Singapore you will be able to see various gantries for ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) toll collection around town. The Singaporean ERP system also uses Mitsubishi products.
Of course there will be various issues to settle with an MLFF system, such as cars that drive around without a MLFF tag. Gantries need to have a way to detect cars that do not have an MLFF tag, or have insufficient credits in their account that caused the electronic toll collection to fail. These cars will have to be recognised via some form of automatic number plate recognition to be billed or fined.
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hmm, this should probably help with the jams occuring in highway around the country.
Any improvement over cash payment is welcome.
this is a good system for people frequenting the highways alot, and by that, i mean a LOT. Otherwise, it will cost money to end users to implement it, and this system is going to be redundant if users already have the current SmartTag + Touch N' Go systems. I love the Touch N' Go for its versatility at all major public transportation in KL, and the price of the SmartTag transmitter is worth it as it is used with the TnG card. Even our MyKAD has TnG in it, upon request (the chip is at the top-left corner, underneath the Malaysian flag). This new system is only used at highways initially, so like i'd said – specific people are gonna benefit from this. Nonetheless, I'm sure many people are eager for this, so why not?
What rattles me is why most motorists still 'prefer' the ticket-and-cash system. Look at Sg. Besi toll (or any other toll for that matter)..the cash lanes are dreadfully long! And, how many years have the TnG system been implemented? People should really consider Short-Term-Loss-but-Long-Term-Win. They won't even fork out some money for a TnG card, let alone the SmartTag transmitter. The system implementer will face a lot more problems on top of the technical glitches Paul Tan has mentioned. Just my humble opinion.
[quote comment="244511"]this is a good system for people frequenting the highways alot, and by that, i mean a LOT. Otherwise, it will cost money to end users to implement it, and this system is going to be redundant if users already have the current SmartTag + Touch N' Go systems. I love the Touch N' Go for its versatility at all major public transportation in KL, and the price of the SmartTag transmitter is worth it as it is used with the TnG card. Even our MyKAD has TnG in it, upon request (the chip is at the top-left corner, underneath the Malaysian flag). This new system is only used at highways initially, so like i'd said – specific people are gonna benefit from this. Nonetheless, I'm sure many people are eager for this, so why not?
What rattles me is why most motorists still 'prefer' the ticket-and-cash system. Look at Sg. Besi toll (or any other toll for that matter)..the cash lanes are dreadfully long! And, how many years have the TnG system been implemented? People should really consider Short-Term-Loss-but-Long-Term-Win. They won't even fork out some money for a TnG card, let alone the SmartTag transmitter. The system implementer will face a lot more problems on top of the technical glitches Paul Tan has mentioned. Just my humble opinion.[/quote]
Like myself even i have smart tag but sometime bcoz of mileage & toll cost claims related, i opted for cash payment. Hopeful they will come out with some system or mechanism to issue the receipt later.
Let face it, ALMOST every marketing people uses car to travel and needs to claim back their toll expenses… heck, even company directors need the receipt… for tax deduction :D
they might have missed out that the jam is not becasue of the smart tag, it is becasue of the matter of the receipt.
i think they should emphasize and market that the people can actually print the usage out from the internet.
alrite.. it's true.. Malaysia is behind by Singapore 5 ro 10 years…
[quote comment="244516"][quote comment="244511"]this is a good system for people frequenting the highways alot, and by that, i mean a LOT. Otherwise, it will cost money to end users to implement it, and this system is going to be redundant if users already have the current SmartTag + Touch N' Go systems. I love the Touch N' Go for its versatility at all major public transportation in KL, and the price of the SmartTag transmitter is worth it as it is used with the TnG card. Even our MyKAD has TnG in it, upon request (the chip is at the top-left corner, underneath the Malaysian flag). This new system is only used at highways initially, so like i'd said – specific people are gonna benefit from this. Nonetheless, I'm sure many people are eager for this, so why not?
What rattles me is why most motorists still 'prefer' the ticket-and-cash system. Look at Sg. Besi toll (or any other toll for that matter)..the cash lanes are dreadfully long! And, how many years have the TnG system been implemented? People should really consider Short-Term-Loss-but-Long-Term-Win. They won't even fork out some money for a TnG card, let alone the SmartTag transmitter. The system implementer will face a lot more problems on top of the technical glitches Paul Tan has mentioned. Just my humble opinion.[/quote]
Like myself even i have smart tag but sometime bcoz of mileage & toll cost claims related, i opted for cash payment. Hopeful they will come out with some system or mechanism to issue the receipt later.
Let face it, ALMOST every marketing people uses car to travel and needs to claim back their toll expenses… heck, even company directors need the receipt… for tax deduction :D[/quote]
owh yeah..i completely overlooked the toll-claim issue, with the receipt. Thanks! Anyway, my friend was given a TnG from the company he works for to pay for toll; it's one of the Zing card linked to a credit card – the company's account of course :-)
mr calvin… now tounch n go, you can go online and get a statement of your usage which can be used for claims. it also helps to keep track of the usage. :)
First thing is to EDUCATE the M'sian public
on how the system works cos everyday
we still see motorist going into the wrong lane
and worst still ,queue cutting is so rampant.
I still remember the Exact Change Lane introduced
many many moons back at the Seremban Highway.
It was a failure cos u get blurr motorist who
still use this lane w/o exact change.
I have seen in Sydney a basket system
where motorist practically throw their coins
+ pass thru the toll booths.
Can we intro this sys & rely on the honest nature of us M'sian?
MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF MILF!!!!
yea… its definitelya step forward, except for the toll highway which i am using 4 times a day at the LDP… i have a SmartTag and honestly, the cash lane is faster than the SmartTag lane! thats how jam it is in the morning at Sunway toll plaza…
i cant imagine what happens if there is no toll plaza at LDP… there will be overflow going to Federal Highway, Sprint, Kesas… so it will put the pressure on the entry/exit point of LDP as the new bottleneck as the current bottleneck is now the toll plazas…
Calvin De La Rosa.
go to www.touchngo.com.my
they already have an bill printing service for FREE. Look for the smallish logo saying "Register TouchNGO Card" and register your TouchNGo serial number.
You will have your past months usage generated by the first week of the following month. Have been using this for the past few years already.
Since everyone have to pay whenever using tolled road, pratically MLFF should be working fine.
No more long loNG LONG que during festive season : )
However, brilliant MLFF born. But how about those toll collection operator?
I guest there are more that 100tolls in Malaysia, which is mean 100tolls X 20Otoll collectors = 20,000pcs will lost their job.
OR
Highway concessionaires have to compensate millions of buck fuh$$$
my 2 cents
should include a low credit reminder function….
[quote comment="244518"]alrite.. it's true.. Malaysia is behind by Singapore 5 ro 10 years…[/quote]
So? What's your point? It's not like they're saying they're the 1st to do it…
OCR number plate enforcement only works if we have standardized number plates. Which we don't. Everysay we see plates made with different fonts, different materials, different spacings… not to mention plates with broken off digits and even some made of cardboard written with marker pen.
In fact with standardized number plates, you don't even need the MLFF tag. For example, in Melbourne, to pass a toll you only need to go to a website, pre pay into your car's account and drive. As you drive thru the gantry, the camera will read your number plate and deduct from your account.
Forget to prepay? no worries, just log in within 24 hours and pay. If you don't you will get a bill + "Handling Charge" sent to you.
for me it is still cannot prevent u from traffic jam
it is just easy for u through that toll.. just it
Hopefully this electronic toll collection is affordable & easy-to-use by all drivers regardless of age.
[quote comment="244532"]Since everyone have to pay whenever using tolled road, pratically MLFF should be working fine.
No more long loNG LONG que during festive season : )
However, brilliant MLFF born. But how about those toll collection operator?
I guest there are more that 100tolls in Malaysia, which is mean 100tolls X 20Otoll collectors = 20,000pcs will lost their job.
OR
Highway concessionaires have to compensate millions of buck fuh$$$
my 2 cents[/quote]
i dont think its a big issue, 99% toll gate operator are 'adik2 comel' just finish school or part time worker waiting for SPM result or college result b4 get proper job…
sometimes i love 2 queue although i have touch n go card just bcoz want to meet dis 'adik2 comel' , lol…
Instead of all this business about Milf's, Smartag, Notag – how about no toll. Settles all manner of problems, methinks.
Roadtax can be paid according to engine capacity and prorata levy on annual mileage beyond a certain limit, say first 15kkm(foc), then increasing per 5kkm basis.
Just a thought… and some of you might have better suggestions.
I think the problem is maniacal implementation, not the tech stuff.
[quote comment="244550"]OCR number plate enforcement only works if we have standardized number plates. Which we don't. Everysay we see plates made with different fonts, different materials, different spacings… not to mention plates with broken off digits and even some made of cardboard written with marker pen.
In fact with standardized number plates, you don't even need the MLFF tag. For example, in Melbourne, to pass a toll you only need to go to a website, pre pay into your car's account and drive. As you drive thru the gantry, the camera will read your number plate and deduct from your account.
Forget to prepay? no worries, just log in within 24 hours and pay. If you don't you will get a bill + "Handling Charge" sent to you.[/quote]
I believe this is part and parcel of the system… the system works fine and is alrdy proven… its just the matter of enforcement… what happens if the car has unreadable number plates? or the car owner purposely hid the number plates?
For those who claim that they need receipt for claims,you can actually use your Touch And Go card and print out the statement from their website.
London has the congestion charge thingy and that works without a human operator. They only see the CCTV to find drivers without the tag going into london.
Singapore can do it why can't we. If this was implemented in the EU they will "force" people by charging more for using the cash based methods because they need to employ people to take care of the toll booths.
MLFF will come only how soon it will come will not be known
[quote comment="244581"]London has the congestion charge thingy and that works without a human operator. They only see the CCTV to find drivers without the tag going into london.
Singapore can do it why can't we. If this was implemented in the EU they will "force" people by charging more for using the cash based methods because they need to employ people to take care of the toll booths.
MLFF will come only how soon it will come will not be known[/quote]
Charge more, people will grumble…
Receipt printing
there ways to get receipt but it depends on the implementation in Malaysia with
the Mitsu system. SG allow people to print the receipts on petrol stations
or go to some authorised entity to print transaction log. I guess we can
do one better on the Internet since the car IU unit has a serial#.
I think enforcement is important for MLFF. Get fined must force payment but
typical MY style people wait for discount before paying. In SG you get the
summon in your mail box in about 3 days of violation and compound double
if you don't pay within x days.
emm paul…
i understand that u must do some researh this topic before posted it.
But this is my understanding on the smart-tag & touch n go system that currently used. Smart-tag used RFID (radio freq identification) tech. & not infra-red. It used radio wave & not light as my understanding. same goes to touch n go. Howver, smart-tag used microwave while touch n go use high freq. so that's y smart tag user just hv to drive tru the toll while the touch n go user have to stop to swap the card to it transponder.
plz correct me if i'm wrong…..
[quote comment="244602"]emm paul…
i understand that u must do some researh this topic before posted it.
But this is my understanding on the smart-tag & touch n go system that currently used. Smart-tag used RFID (radio freq identification) tech. & not infra-red. It used radio wave & not light as my understanding. same goes to touch n go. Howver, smart-tag used microwave while touch n go use high freq. so that's y smart tag user just hv to drive tru the toll while the touch n go user have to stop to swap the card to it transponder.
plz correct me if i'm wrong…..[/quote]
Touch N Go/SmartTAG themselves said it uses infrared. that is why you need line of sight for it to work. please refer to the link below.
http://www.touchngo.com.my/MLFF_faqs.html
i dono wht i ad rather pay cash than those things,on daily basis i see cars either stuck at the TAG lane,or dono how to use or watever , id rather go n pay the toll cash , i see it more efficient , not very often u see the manual counter very crowded …atleast the routes i take anyway
I choose NO TOLL
It will happen, but i don't think it will be by 2010.. ..
So many things to be sorted out, the "pie" is the main issue.
I used maybank Zing touch n go card.
No need to topup myself. :D
Malaysian motorist should be forced to use cards instead of cash and receipt. Skeptical with 'online system' making you a lame and backward.
T & G = Samy Velu
MLFF = Datuk Shaziman
Kasut baru = System baru=$$making project =Zero benefit.
Another card in your wallet
besides IC/CC/MaybankCard/Tesco/Mydin/RealRewards
/PetronasCard/BHP/Esso/BonusLink/ etc etc.
Kereta singapore semua dah pakai benda nie. senang, mudah, cepat. x payah beratur tol, masuk parking terus scan. Patut kat malaysia kena pakai macam tu. tapi biasalah… malaysian….
[quote comment="244570"]I believe this is part and parcel of the system… the system works fine and is alrdy proven… its just the matter of enforcement… what happens if the car has unreadable number plates? or the car owner purposely hid the number plates?[/quote]
You get caught, you'll get heavily fined and and get your license suspended. And they are pretty anal about catching people over there. :P
You should go read about how they renew everyone's road tax over there. You'll be amazed.
Go to Touch N Go's website and REGISTER for their E-Statement.
I believe that there is a 2 day delay, and you can use the E-Statement for purposes of claims, etc.
Malaysia Tentu Boleh
Just another way to suck dry people money.
NO TOLL IS BETTER.
[quote comment="244683"]Just another way to suck dry people money.
NO TOLL IS BETTER.[/quote]
just go living in indonesia lah you!
huhuh
jam at tollgate is about to overcome. What about jam after the tollgate?
good move.just dont increase toll rates after this being implemented.faster money out for us,faster money in for them
Recently, the newest Works Minister (menteri kerjaraya) queued at PLUS Jln Duta toll cash lane in the morning rush hour and was reported queuing for 15 minutes! Wow! That is one very long queue i supposed..
i am sure he won't queue at cash lane anymore after this experience and instead will revert back to use the SmartTag. Even i've made the same conclusion when i tried something very similar a few years back.
Queuing at the cash lane? Thanks but Never again… it is so impractical and time wasting.
Truth to be told, you had to queue at Smart Tag lane, particularly in the morning or everning rush hour, but it will take only 1-3 minutes max when cash normally took 5-15 minutes max. Otherwise, usage of the Smart Tag lane should be a breeze in most 95% of the time.
All the people who still paying by cash when they are using the highway on frequent or daily basis really don't look at long-term benefit of investing a small token of RM100 for the SmartTag, which if you don't know is a subsidisied price by the Touch n Go Sdn. Bhd.
That SmartTag unit cost more than RM100. It used to be sold for around RM150++ a few years back (year 2002?) before the then Works Ministry (Mr. Samy Vellu) asked/instructed the system operator to subsidise the Smart Tag and sell it at only RM100.
Therefore, subsidise is at RM50++ per unit and the system operator are still subsidising it to this day! I reckoned they have sold more than 1 million units of Smart Tag since. So imagine the system operator (ultimately the Govt) has 'subsidise' more than RM50 million just for the rakyat to use the Smart Tag.
Even with this arrangement people refuse to use the T'nG electronic payment system, they are clearly just being a hardball. Perhaps they are true blue opposition. It is best sometime not to mix politics with other aspect of life. Ease of transportation is one of the area.
One thing for sure, The T'nG system has been around for more than 10 years and shall continue to be there. Many people who 'finally' convert to it (from cash) ultimately understand its advantages and never look back.
Forget about no toll, cronies and all that what not political stuff. The operator of the system is ultimately owned by the Malaysia Goverment as the operator main shareholder is a GLC, the UEM Group. Even another GLC i.e. Bumiputra
Commerce a.k.a CIMB has quite a stake in the system operator.
And this system is there to make live easier as it provide secure payment conveniently and fast.
So far, T'nG electronic payment system is the only such system that have wide spread usage n acceptance. This is probably the electronic money solution that will be supported by the Govt to turn M'sian into embracing electronic money.
MLFF will be implemented in the future as an updated version of current infrared-based technology and when that day come, T'nG will be there, amalgamated into MLFF imlementation and other areas where electronic payment / money is accepted.
Don't be so surprise when you see your tiny T'nG card is accepted at other places beside the toll plazas, public transit system and parking. The movement to enable usage of T'nG card in retail, food & beverage outlets, petrol stations and many others areas have just began.
In others country like Singapore, Hong kong etc, the similiar to touch and go card can be use widely at shopping malls, 7-eleven, petrol station, lrt, mtr, mrt, buses, train, taxi, tol, car park.. etc
[quote comment="244516"][quote comment="244511"]this is a good system for people frequenting the highways alot, and by that, i mean a LOT. Otherwise, it will cost money to end users to implement it, and this system is going to be redundant if users already have the current SmartTag + Touch N' Go systems. I love the Touch N' Go for its versatility at all major public transportation in KL, and the price of the SmartTag transmitter is worth it as it is used with the TnG card. Even our MyKAD has TnG in it, upon request (the chip is at the top-left corner, underneath the Malaysian flag). This new system is only used at highways initially, so like i'd said – specific people are gonna benefit from this. Nonetheless, I'm sure many people are eager for this, so why not?
What rattles me is why most motorists still 'prefer' the ticket-and-cash system. Look at Sg. Besi toll (or any other toll for that matter)..the cash lanes are dreadfully long! And, how many years have the TnG system been implemented? People should really consider Short-Term-Loss-but-Long-Term-Win. They won't even fork out some money for a TnG card, let alone the SmartTag transmitter. The system implementer will face a lot more problems on top of the technical glitches Paul Tan has mentioned. Just my humble opinion.[/quote]
Like myself even i have smart tag but sometime bcoz of mileage & toll cost claims related, i opted for cash payment. Hopeful they will come out with some system or mechanism to issue the receipt later.
Let face it, ALMOST every marketing people uses car to travel and needs to claim back their toll expenses… heck, even company directors need the receipt… for tax deduction :D[/quote]
WTH??? I myself work as sales last year, and I use TNG also. For claiming purpose? For god sake, register your freaking TNG card on the internet, and you are able to print it out, and claim back!!!! What is so difficult with this?
Or if you are lazy, call up TNG, and ask them to fax it to your office!!!
Grr….are you guys nuts? Or stay in cave?
salam… sedara nobody raise any political issues in this post only you… don't forget the opposition also has right to an opinion… they're malaysian also what… i also use TnG and am satisfied with it …
just implement it faster.
cheers!
why not the give a "FOC " Tag & a smart card to all new cars buyers?? & hv more Tag & TnG counters over the toll area??? just like in S'pore all new cars hv a FOC Tag unit.
I wrote a blog that are related to the MLFF. I would like to see if the system's backend has multiple provider, and not only rangkaian segar. that should be the way.
http://ideas.routevid.com/2008/05/multi-provider-….
There are few player that are making the demos: Misubishi with proprietary japanese system. and Kapsch (I think) which would be based on the European Standard tags and roadside equipment.
One point the you guys should know is that MLFF compliant system had already been implemented in Malaysia way back in 1999.
Kesas had ExpressTag, LDP had FastTrak, and GrandSaga got SagaTag.
All these systems are microwave DSRC tags (dedicated short range communication).
I was one of those who maintain one of the system. we had tested the lane with vehicle travelling at 100kph. (with the barrier upright of course)
It still can detect and make the deductions correctly.
The system was said to be able to make transactions at 200kph.
All of them was kicked out by the honorable datuk S. Samy Vellu in 2004 because "we need only one system"
Now Rangkaian Segar know that their outdated infrared based SmartTag is no longer used by any other worldwide toll system, and the price of the SmartTag is rising due to no economics of scale.
So they need to introduce a microwave based system. the problems is that if they introduced it, then probably the concessionaire and the public would got furious about the inconsistencies of the govt.
And they had said long time ago that their system is superior. yeah right….
The problem with MLFF in Malaysia would still be that there is no control on the number plates. be it on the fonts and styling or the fake plates. Even the London's system have problems with "stolen number plates".
How would us enforce MLFF, if we could not be sure that those who drove pass the gantry are actually using the correct number plates. Hence, when the summons came in, it would be sent to the innocent road users.
At the end, I would foresee that RSSB/KKM/LLM would just say that MLFF is still not feasable due to regulatory issues, and we would only use the microwave with the automatic barrier — which was what we had for 5 years from 1999 till 2004.
Now RSSB can upgrade the SmartTag.. yeaaa….
Please read my blog on the related issue, and give ur comments:
http://ideas.routevid.com/2008/05/multi-provider-….
.
.
I you want information about European Standard MLFF read this:
http://www.q-free.com/images/stories/Files/Produc…
[quote comment="244604"][quote comment="244602"]emm paul…
i understand that u must do some researh this topic before posted it.
But this is my understanding on the smart-tag & touch n go system that currently used. Smart-tag used RFID (radio freq identification) tech. & not infra-red. It used radio wave & not light as my understanding. same goes to touch n go. Howver, smart-tag used microwave while touch n go use high freq. so that's y smart tag user just hv to drive tru the toll while the touch n go user have to stop to swap the card to it transponder.
plz correct me if i'm wrong…..[/quote]
Touch N Go/SmartTAG themselves said it uses infrared. that is why you need line of sight for it to work. please refer to the link below.
http://www.touchngo.com.my/MLFF_faqs.html[/quote]
TnG is actually a proximity card or mifare card. It uses low power, low frequency radio band. (13MHz)
The SmartTag uses infrared.
The MLFF tags should use 5GHz frequency. When you go beyond 0.3GHz to 300Ghz, you are using "microwave" frequency.
You could google the info. they are all "wikified"
Cancel all the tols and save this TnG or watever..
smart tag reduce traffic jam..now i'm making a researh to complete my assigment regarding smart tag and how rfid works. it amazing to get new knowledge.
Hi RT, u mentioned on (refer above)
June 16, 2009 @ 4:48 pm
I you want information about European Standard MLFF read this:
http://www.q-free.com/images/stories/Files/Produc…
—————————————————-
I went to the website but the link is already taken out.
If you have a copy of the pdf, can you email it to me at [email protected].
Thanks,
Ryan