Highway concessionaire PLUS Malaysia has apologised to all its highway customers for the inconvenience caused as a result of the congestion during its initial RFID rollout along the North-South Expressway from Juru to Skudai on January 15.
Acknowledging the inconvenience caused to its highway customers during the initial RFID implementation along its Juru to Skudai stretch, PLUS said via a statement that it is reactivating 43 SmartTAG lanes at 34 toll plazas to address the issue and manage traffic at the toll plazas.
It said that 16 toll plazas with 19 Touch ‘n Go lanes will have SmartTAG lanes reinstated by January 25 in anticipation of increased traffic during the expected travel exodus for Chinese New Year. Subsequently, post CNY, on February 19, 18 more toll plazas will convert 24 lanes to SmartTAG lanes.
The move comes following a recent meeting between PLUS’ senior management and works minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof and the director-general of the Malaysia Highway Authority (LLM), Datuk Mohd Shuhaimi Hassan, where the works minister raised his concern on the public’s unhappiness in relation to the RFID implementation and the removal of the SmartTag lanes at certain toll plazas.
PLUS said that with steering and guidance from the works minister, it has identified areas of improvement and is taking proactive steps that are fully aligned with prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob’s announcement that the RFID solution should be an option for the rakyat in terms of how they choose to make toll payments. “Users must be given the freedom whether to use RFID, Touch n Go or SmartTAG,” he said.
It said teams have been formed to work around the clock on the ground to optimise system performance and sharpen detection at all toll plazas, and that it will deploy quicker “double arm” lane barriers at plazas with high traffic to ensure traffic will be able to be managed and cleared quickly. Additionally, visual RFID detection zones will be painted on RFID lanes to ensure customers are able to position their vehicle to ensure optimum detection.
The highway operator also said it has assigned customer service assistants (CSAs) at all 158 RFID lanes across 74 toll plazas to assist customers who are stuck at lanes. Using portable detection devices, the CSAs will help determine if there is a fault with a RFID tag. Motorists experiencing RFID detection issues will receive a TnG coupon for assessment of the tag at the nearest TnG fitment center – if found to be faulty, TnG will replace the tag for free.
For the convenience of motorists, PLUS said there are 24 fitment centres on its highways and 35 at locations outside PLUS highways, with the full locations listed here. It added that it will continue to work with TnG to increase the number of RFID fitment centers to ensure that proper tag fitting by a professional fitment agent is available to customers.
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Gutless backward move. Back when tolls were switched over to cashless payment did people complain? Sure they did! Then when cashless payment migrated to TNG only did people complain? Sure they did! But the Govt then stuck to their guns and people eventually accepted and liked the current singular payment system. What difference between then and today? Same complaints are heard and with new introduction, there will be teething problems which can be resolved. No difference than migration to cashless payment or to TNG only! So why is the Govt pandering to certain voices and going backwards. Might as well reintroduce cash payment again. There will always be idiots holding back, just let them be.
Gahmen shd stop listening to them and just persevere with RFID. Typically Malaysians have to dragged into the modern age screaming & kicking.
So, go ahead & continue paying your hard earned money on services & goods by monopolies which can’t do it right the 1st time.
Why pay? What happen to janji abolish tol? Kena capati?
Number 9 only said rakyat must be still be allowed to pay with other ways other than RFID but he didn’t say that rakyat no need to pay which means not going to abolish toll. But surely he still has to pay for chapati, most likely he claims as gomen expenses..
Sone small toll plaza only have 2 lanes, (1)RFID and (2)lorry/bus lane. Now all car with tng and smart tag jam.like hell at lorry bus lane. Small toll 1 lane shound install both Rfid and smart tag, another one for lorry/buss tng. Sihai betoi rfid.
Society are onto fibre broadband and sone still demanding for 56k dialup internet? Sihai betoi pemikiran gua.
Stupid act from Plus!
Agreed. They have nothing to apologise, does Intel need to apologise for help creating the modern computer when they are also used for hacking & malware? No.
So PLUS shouldn’t have to apologise when users are just stubborn to change.
True. It’s obvious that this concessionaire is too dumb to apologise & is trying shift the blame to microprocessor manufacturers & hackers.
Damage already done… things like that should have been carefully assessed before roll out. in this case shits already hit the fan, the top guy who approved this needs to be given a more suitable job (lower pay grade!)
Really they said sorry???
I thought PLUS is a arrogant entity that won’t admit their fault….
The folly of giving monopoly to fumbling corporations.
Just unacceptable and wasting precious time and petrol of the rakyat.
dungu as usual, our country do things always no proper planning and no foresight.
Copy paste: “There will always be idiots holding back, just let them be.”
Yes, no proper planning & lack of foresight are done by idiots but we have to stop them & not just let them be.
Please add more though for the northern region that has been using RFID longer. The largest drawback of it is that if the pitiful two RFID lanes at Sg. Dua toll exit is congested, the cars can’t go to TnG or SmartTAG lanes.
Or can they please link TnG cards or phone NFC to use as manual scanning if RFID detection is not working.
Thank you PM for talking some sense to them.
For every 1km jam them should be fine 1 million…
Penang Bridge dan semua tol sebelah utara terlupa ke? Kami nak balik Smart Tag !!!!! Kami dah sangsara lagi lama !
Benda 3 cent, charge RM35. Lepas itu, tak boleh pakai pulak itu. Wrong technology for wrong application. ISO 18000-6C RFID is operating at 860-960 MHz, don’t you think GSM and LTE won’t have any interference on it? Add in Doppler effect for moving vehicle. That’s a recipe for failure. These type of RFID is best suited for items sitting in warehouse that don’t move around fast like a car.
what year is it? still gated toll?? sigh
If I was PM, I will instruct that all toll plazas will use RFID. No more SmartTag and TnG card.
1. TnG must give free and problem free RFID to all car owners. Both private and company.
2. When vehicles reach the toll plaza and RFID fail to detect, that vehicle gets to use that trip toll free at highway operator own cost.
Doing this, both Plus and TnG will do something to resolve the issue quickly and not have a tidak apa attitude. All toll plazas will be standardize with single payment method. Public will not be burdened from transition from TnG card/SmartTag etc to RFID
Hahaha.. why would they choose to go rfid with so many problem when alternative solution with lesser problem is available?
Smart Tag has lesser problem? You must be kidding.
Our transport minister sleeping kah
Our transport minister sleeping is it…
Everything also have to apologise,the mentality of a third world country