Following the cabinet’s intervention on the PLUS RFID rollout issue, touched on by prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob yesterday, the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) has instructed the highway concessionaire to maintain both SmartTAG and Touch n Go (TnG) lanes.
In a statement, reported by the New Straits Times, LLM said that a total of 43 SmartTAG lanes will be reopened in stages at 34 toll plazas to ensure smooth traffic flow. It also ordered PLUS to place more personnel on the ground with manual scanning devices to assist RFID-equipped drivers facing issues at the RFID lanes.
“PLUS has been told to ensure the performance of the RFID system is improved to avoid congestion at toll plazas and to add on more RFID fitment centres along the PLUS highway. PLUS should also disseminate information on RFID systems through media channels to increase consumer understanding and awareness,” LLM’s statement read.
The statement should erase any doubts that RFID is the future of toll payments in Malaysia, current hiccups notwithstanding. The PM’s statements also point to that.
“Users must be given the freedom whether to use RFID, Touch n Go or SmartTAG,” he told reporters after the launch of the Keluarga Malaysia Agricommodity tour programme in Putrajaya yesterday, adding that the cabinet is of the view that road users must be given a choice, just like how it was when TnG co-existed with cash payments. Toll payments are fully cashless today.
Ismail Sabri suggests a more organic approach, which is to retain TnG and SmartTAG lanes and let users slowly adapt. “If it is a pilot project, it will take time after several months then we will leave it to the motorists to decide. Eventually, if the RFID facilitates their journey, they will migrate to the RFID. Don’t make it all RFID. If there are 10 lanes, maybe several lanes for RFID and the rest should be for TnG and SmartTAG. We don’t want to pressure motorists,” he said.
RFID for toll payment is nothing new, as it has been in place for a few years now in the Klang Valley, although PLUS is doing it on a much larger scale, equipping North-South Highway toll plazas from Juru in Penang to Skudai in Johor with RFID lanes. Some of these lanes were reportedly converted from SmartTAG lanes.
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close all the rfid junk land and come back with a proper one with higher response speed than smart tech, stupid crony company
Gahmen shd stop listening to them and just persevere with RFID. Typically Malaysians have to dragged into the modern age screaming & kicking.
That is just moving backwards. But as an RFID user I don’t mind it, less of others to crowd out the RFID lanes when I go thru. I do love it when I don’t have to share it with Smart Tag users and their frequently faulty devices.
Support SmartTag, practically proven i capable travel pay toll at 30-40 kmh with zero failed on my pass 15 years. Rfid even more worst, more conggestion and created even longer more bottleneck. Best is Singapore 110kmh pay toll which implemented 20 years ago ( the rfid shown us malaysia transport minister is 20years lack behind knowkedge of singapore transport minister)
the only problem is that they replaced the smart tag lane with the RFID lane so people with smart tag (without RFID installed) has to go to the slower TnG lane to pass through the toll booth hence resulting in congestion.
PLUS should replace one of the T&G lane to RFID and not abolish the smart tag lane since smart tag lane is the fastest lane which helps in clearing the traffic a lot.
My location here has 4 T&G lane and 1 smart tag lane and PLUS replaced the smart tag lane with the RFID. lulss….
Why does our policy maker at MoF make policy decisions on ad-hoc basis? this choices of TouchNGo or SmartTag or RFID should have been cleared up years ago when RFID pilot was announced in 2018/2019. Also our toll operators are service providers, why are we asked to pay for their equipment which they specify ie monopolise? Lastly, question of technology selections, Service Level Agreement (SLA) etc should be done like telco industry. If we are going to pay for it, then user should be able to choose the one that fit their service requirements not the company dictation based on company bottom line.
Ex-PM claim of RM0.50 cost per RFID. It may integrate into road tax sticker for production, rapid expansion. Should be less deterioration, car wash damage, aging issue.
On the other side, Smart tag also having its own aging, deterioration, no battery, no balance fund issue.
I’ll be back.
Next time,Mr Monopolistic PLUS,discuss with the bloated cabinet first,at least they have to put on their thinking caps.Don’t tell us that you condone makangaji buta?
It’s bonkers how behind Malaysia is. With bureaucracy redtapes and just pure greed.
Every where else they are deployment frictionless camera for number plate sensing and auto fare deduction. And they are doing this without fail.
Malaysia looked at the industry standard and decides, hey maybe all these advance countries are all wrong. Lets go big with a RF technology sensing and scale that out for millions or car so that everyone will need to slow down, go thru a toll both prone to accidents and have a toll gate. And lets still suck at deploying that.
Brilliant.
funny thing, they said RFID ease us from topping up since it’s linked to the TnG e-wallet, but don’t they had this function that they had forgotten… with tng card linked to the e-wallet, it will be deducted from the e-wallet as well, but its not well expanded, only selected highway are able to do so (what’s the point of having RFID since both works the same way, why don’t they just upgrade their system and adding more highways to participate into the tng card link system), There one and only thing why RFID is encouraged, because RFID spoils faster than Smartag, so the more you spend, the more they earn, although the price is lower, but ‘sikit-sikit Lama jadi bukit’
Abolish toll, then tak payah pikir, tak payah pening.
I am a firm believer that RF ID improves speed and flow. Have seen and used in it in many other countries. BUT the way it’s implementation here with stickers, similar to those Hong Kong Airport stick for free on your checked in luggage for tracking, is just not robust.
This, followed by poor support. Mine did not work after reading the instructions and installing. Still struggling to find support, to determine why it did not work. BUT have plenty of vendors wanting to sell you a new on none to tell you why your brand new tag cannot work.
Why should I keep paying for new one when I cant find out why my current one doesn’t work???
This is such a missed opportunity to progress just because we did not choose or test the system enough – then followed by scant support.
The most logical thing to do is actually upgrade the SmartTag system, which is somewhat the system Singapore uses.
The RFID tag is a real money-maker. 500k new vehicles are registered in Malaysia annually. If 50% get RFID tags, that’s a revenue of RM8.75m. At a margin of 15%, that’s RM1.31m. Add to that the 17 million vehicles registered at the moment….
Someone or more in the planning & implementation dept is not ‘firing on all cylinders’.
Seem RFID can’t earn much,so PLUS start selling SMART tag devices…
I think PLUS remove smart tag lane and replacing it with rfid cause its cheaper to do so. No need to install the tiang/pole for the rfid reader at touch n go lane instead use existing smart tag tiang to place the rfid reader
This is what you get for putting you thinking organ to your tight & calf joint. Asyik nak untung je.
PLUS was simply being arrogant. Kiang Valley toll operators already had operational experience & PLUS could have consulted with them before implementation.