The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) has announced that toll collection using radio frequency identification (RFID) technology will be implemented across all 62 toll plazas on highways using the open-toll system, starting January 1, 2020.

The organisation said that the move is expected to smoothen traffic flow at toll plazas, as users will no longer need to stop and tap a Touch ‘n Go card on a reader. It will also eliminate issues associated with SmartTAG, such as users lifting up their on-board unit too late or the wrong way around, or the battery being depleted (since the RFID sticker isn’t battery-powered), LLM said.

Linked to the RFID sticker is the user’s Touch ‘n Go eWallet, which they can reload via a smartphone app. The installation (which can be done through 18 stationary and 112 mobile fitment centres nationwide) and usage of the RFID sticker is currently free – minus toll charges, of course. Users are advised to ensure that their eWallet carries sufficient balance before entering a highway for a smoother experience.

Touch ‘n Go has been conducting RFID public trials since September 2018, and the number of users that have registered to use the system is said to have swelled to over 830,000. The trial period was extended to allow the company to iron out some of the flaws of the system.

The nationwide rollout of the RFID system is said to be the first step towards a Multi-lane Free Flow (MLFF) system that the government hopes to implement within the next two years.