The works ministry has just announced that the main stretch of the North-South Highway, from Juru in Penang to Skudai in Johor, will finally support radio frequency identification (RFID) toll payments with the opening of RFID-specific lanes starting January 15, 2022. The news confirms a report in The Star earlier this week, which stated that PLUS Malaysia planned to enable the system at all its toll plazas by early next year.
With this, RFID can now be used on the entire tolled highway network on the west coast. The system was already supported on the North-South Highway on the northern stretch from Hutan Kampung in Kedah to Sungai Dua in Butterworth, Penang, as well as at the toll plazas in Jitra in Kedah and Kempas in Johor. However, the rollout of RFID was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ministry further stated that the implementation of RFID, which is aimed at reducing congestion at toll plazas, is in line with its plan to introduce an Intelligent Transport System (ITS) – a form of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication – as well as the eventual development of a multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system for open road tolling.
More importantly, the addition of RFID lanes will coincide with the gradual discontinuation of Touch ‘n Go and SmartTAG toll collection, with lanes for those methods set to be reduced in stages. This, said the ministry, will allow for more RFID lanes to be opened up before the switch to MLFF.
The ministry urged users to switch over to RFID as soon as possible. Vehicle RFID tags can purchased for self-installation either through the Touch ‘n Go eWallet app, the Touch ‘n Go website or appointed retail agents. Customers can also head over to one of the 39 RFID installation centres across Peninsular Malaysia to purchase and install the tags. More of these installation centres will be set up in the future.
Unfortunately for Touch ‘n Go and SmartTAG users, RFID support does not mean that you’ll be able to use PayDirect to have the toll charges deducted from your Touch ‘n Go eWallet, despite the North-South Highway being earmarked for the system’s implementation as early as 2019. This means you will still need to ensure that your Touch ‘n Go card has sufficient funds before entering the expressway.
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It will be catastrophic ! Many user in nothern malaysia revert back to smart tag due to issue in rfid. Have you see the cone at the rfid lane at BKE and Penang Bridge? Very frequent stuck ! Pls resolve that first.
Implementation lesson 101 failed.
You want people to use RFID but you only install to selected few toll plaza. Even many toll plaza in KV also don’t have RFID. Why would anyone carry more than 1 tag when travelling? You expect people to use RFID whenever it available and use smart tag at toll plaza that you conveniently did not install? You think the world revolves around you?
Those few selected tolls are closed system where implementation is more direct. NS is an open loop system which PLUS needed another piece of tech, ANPR, to electronically close that loop. Add on MCO shutdown delays and simmering feud from PLUS introducing their own cashless system, things are bound to not go smoothly like magic. Still, they have resolved all those issues and pushed it forwards so kudos to them.
MCO or not, install to ALL the toll plaza first before talking about discontinuing the existing system.
In the meantime, will cars with both RFID and Smart Tag already installed be charged double when passing through a toll booth with both RFID and Smart Tag readers present???
Yes, it is
Who says monopoly is just a board game?
Monopoly helps to push through technology, or do you prefer half your windscreen covered in RFID stickers & tags for every single highway that have separate payment system?
No, I just prefer not to pay any toll.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to reduce tng lanes first and leave smart tag lanes alone? Rather than combine RFID with smart tag
Why keep burdening the rakyat?
Should ask why tolls were not abolished as promised 3 years ago.
Why burden the highway users with the cost of installation for a goverment initiated initiative? If the cost is low, as some might say, why cant the government absorb it? I understand having 3 different toll payment systems dont make sense, if it is going to be imposed on us, why make us pay for it? PLUS already saved a lot when they removed the cashiers at the toll booths, surely the RM35 cost can be recovered in some other ways? I am being charged to use the highways, which is fine by me, but being forced to pay to utilise a payment system of not my choice? Who is really benefitting from this new RFID system, the service provider or users?
Time to ditch t&g card, smart tag, rfid etc2.. If AES can work then toll payment can work that way too!
why dont we adopt a system used by singapore or korea instead of this junk unreliable RFID? this RFID proof of concept is proven failure. does our top management level doesnt have a brain?
can already imagine the jam when the rfid fails to scan, need to reverse, then drive back front again to let it scan
Pls do something, someone. There are hundreds thousands of new model myvi fitted with smarttag. And touch n go wants to phase out smarttag lane. TnG, pls ease us for topping up touch n go card. Close loop NSE rfid doesn’t have pay direct. I still suffer to topping up my card. There are limitation here and there. Less top up convenience, queue for manual topup, Limited top up amount per topup, etc. Come on.
Why blame TNG for marching to progress? You should blame perodua for not keeping with the times and still provide old tech smart tag holder.
Please make campaign trade your smartag for RFId. Then it will half work. I wonder what will happen to old orang kampung who seldom travelling using highways, it is abyrden to make them buy those RFID and topup the e wallet.
What do you meant my the last paragraph? With RFID, but still need to ensure TNG card must have fund inside?
“Unfortunately for Touch ‘n Go and SmartTAG users, RFID support does not mean that you’ll be able to use PayDirect to have the toll charges deducted from your Touch ‘n Go eWallet, despite the North-South Highway being earmarked for the system’s implementation as early as 2019. This means you will still need to ensure that your Touch ‘n Go card has sufficient funds before entering the expressway.”
it means although an RFID gate is added, it does not mean the SmartTAG and Touch n Go gates have been upgraded to use PayDirect. so at the same toll, RFID takes from eWallet but SmartTAG continues to take from physical card balance. there are many tolls like SPRINT highway where SmartTAG has PayDirect and takes from eWallet instead of physical card balance.
i go in through YONG PENG with RFID
and arrived at TAPAH exit without RFID
so HOW ??
I also need receipts for company claim,
e-wallet statements includes all transactions
How ???
Smart “TOUCH & GO” systems
And I can imagine bad habit road users who always double-park will definitely suffer from this mandotory RFID implementation. I already saw quite a few netizens on Lowyat forum kidding that ‘Watch out double parkers, we are going to to tear off your RFID if you block my gate’ LMAO
And also saw quite a number of seems Malay net community discussing about once stop at R&R, some unknown bloody rascal pull off the RFID tag… I think maybe it’s some mischievous kids playing around with the tags especially those sticked on the left headlamps…
The lady para is Indicative of the nation’s reluctance or even inability to embrace technology in full. The inability to topup touch and go cards from the e-wallet remains a kink in the armoir of what is an otherwise totally acceptable solution. Rumors abound of technical incompetency and insurmountable political hurdles. Get your act together guys. People don’t like to pay tolls. The least you can do is make the process easy
drive through RAWANG with RFID
and arrived at DUTA /DUKE exit without RFID ( NO RFID LANE AT DUKE ENTRY )
full payment deducted from smart tag physical card balance.
What is the matter ??? very frustrated …
why some tolls like SPRINT highway where SmartTAG has PayDirect and takes from eWallet instead of physical card balance.
Please implement properly
Smart “TOUCH & GO” systems