A major public company believed to be Berjaya Group, is reportedly seeking support from highway concessionaires for a competing bid to install a barrier-free system at toll plazas. This move comes after 32 highway toll concessionaires opposed the government’s plan to appoint a unit of YTL Holdings for the same purpose.
According to FMT, Senior executives from Berjaya Group have allegedly held individual meetings with representatives of the 32 concessionaires to explain their proposal and gather feedback before submitting the final proposal to the works ministry. The Berjaya offer is more favourable than the earlier proposal being considered by the government.
Under Berjaya’s plan, highway companies would construct multi-lane free-flow toll booths, while Berjaya or another company would provide toll collection services. This arrangement would allow concessionaires to receive revenue the next day, similar to the current practice. Additionally, the company providing toll collection services would address revenue leaks from motorists driving through without paying.
Good news for those who use Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) tags to pay toll. Additional lanes lanes have now been created and are open at various toll plazas along the North-South Expressway (NSE). The work carried out by PLUS, the concessionaire, was completed earlier than planned (mid-April).
In total, there 12 additional RFID lanes which are at the Penang Bridge, Setia Alam, Subang, Jalan Duta, Putra Mahkota, Kajang, Kubang Semang, Sungai Besi, Shah Alam, Sungai Buloh, and Rawang Selatan toll plazas.
With the volume of traffic having grown substantially over the years, toll plazas are a bottleneck along the highways. To eliminate this issue, PLUS and other highway concessionaires are working towards implementing a Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system. With this system, toll booths won’t be needed any longer as all payments will be totally electronic.
Our highway Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) process started off with a tollcard manually swiped on a reader, progressing to a SmartTAG which uses an infrared beam to transmit the card information to a receiver over the lane. In both cases, the vehicle has to slow down considerably which caused traffic to build up at toll plazas.
The future is RFID – Radio Frequency IDdentification – using a tiny tag stuck on the headlight or windscreen which send a radio signal to a receiver to execute ETC. This allows quicker communication that will speed up the flow of traffic through the toll plaza.
RFID has been available for almost two years now and with PLUS – the largest highway concessionaire – having also adopted the system for its toll plazas this year, its acceptance and usage by motorists has been steadily increasing.
Positive response to pilot run
On July 22, PLUS began a pilot run of accepting ETC by RFID on a closed-toll highway system (this system charges by distance travelled) in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia. All 9 toll plazas from Hutan Kampung all the way to Sungai Dua in the states of Penang and Kedah have lanes dedicated for RFID. It’s clear that the benefits of RFID have appealed to motorists as the penetration has increased from 2.3% two weeks ago to 10% today.
“It is encouraging to see the positive take up of the RFID with a short period of 14 days. I am confident that this will increase as more will see the multiple benefits of this payment solution. The most compelling reason for RFID is that the technology itself propagates physical distancing as compared to the existing card. Once it is linked to your e-wallet, it reduces the probability of being stuck in the toll lane because of insufficient balance and need to physically reload and risk transmission of the coronavirus,” said Datuk Azman Ismail, Managing Director of PLUS.
“We are grateful for the Malaysia Highway Authority’s endorsement of this public pilot. The support by our highway regulator enabling PLUS to proceed with the first 9 designated closed toll plazas namely Hutan Kampung, Alor Setar Utara, Alor Setar Selatan, Pendang, Gurun, Sungai Petani Utara, Sungai Petani Selatan, Bertam and Sungai Dua, is a testament of the promise that the other remaining closed toll highways will be primed for RFID very soon,” Datuk Azman added.
The tiny RFID tag can be installed on the windscreen or the headlight.
Besides going to the Fitment Centres, motorists can also purchase the RFID tag online and attach it to the headlight or windscreen themselves. The price is the same as at the Fitment Centre but you probably have to pay a delivery charge.
Mindset shift necessary
PLUS, however, recognises that to embrace the RFID technology will require a level of mindset shift. For one thing, motorists will have to make use of the Touch’NGo eWallet which means they must have a smartphone or tablet (which can connect to the internet). Data from the RFID tag is linked to the Touch‘NGo eWallet and reloading can therefore be done online. This is more convenient than having to look for a reload kiosk or outlet to top-up the balance.
Eligible motorists can apply for the PENJANA economic package offered by the government where RM50 reloads will be transferred into successful applicants’ eWallets. However, this benefit does not apply to SmartTAG and Touch‘NGo card.
ETC is still accepted by Touch‘NGo cards and SmartTAGs at all PLUS toll plazas. However, at smaller toll plazas with limited lanes, SmartTag lanes were replaced with dedicated RFID lanes, but the card can still be used at the Touch‘NGo lanes. This will also apply with nationwide roll-out of RFID soon.
The completion date of the introduction of RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) system for paying charges electronically at all remaining PLUS toll plazas has been postponed. Following implementation on its Open System highways in January, the concessionaire had been carrying out testing and progressive work with the aim of having the remaining 83 PLUS and 10 LPT2 (East Coast) Closed System toll plazas equipped with RFID facilities by April 1, 2020.
Open System toll plazas are for highways where a fixed rate is paid whereas the Closed System charges by the distance travelled, eg along the North-South Expressway.
Due to the Movement Control Order (MCO) being in force since March 18 and to run until March 31, 2020, the work has been suspended. “At PLUS, we believe the MCO is an important move to protect the health, safety and well-being of not just our employees but all Malaysians from the threat of COVID-19. Based on this principle, we have decided to defer the launch of the RFID payment system on PLUS and LPT2 highways to a new date upon the lifting of the MCO,” said PLUS Managing Director, Datuk Azman Ismail.
PLUS also takes this opportunity to urge the public to adhere to the MCO and to remain at home in order to help flatten the spread of COVID-19 and more crucially, to protect one’s health and family’s wellbeing.
Motorists using PLUS highways should also be aware that the reload facilities at all its Toll Plaza Customer Service Centres and Reload lanes at both Open and Close Toll Highway are closed during the MCO period. Reloads of the Touch’nGo cards can be done at Self-Service Kiosks available at 67 locations at selected R&R areas as well as various ATMs, petrol stations and convenience stores.
“We strongly advise all motorists to plan their journeys by reloading their Touch‘nGo card at reloading centres nationwide, as well as other reload facilities available,” PLUS said, adding that motorists are also advised to keep a 1-metre distance apart when queuing, not just at the reload machines but also in any public place.
Meanwhile the highway concessionaire has also clarified that none of its toll plazas and highways are closed. However, with the MCO in effect, the police may be filtering vehicles to ensure their occupants are authorised to travel. PLUS advises the public to contact the PDRM Hotline at 03-2266 3356 for latest updates on road diversions and inspection throughout this period.
The Movement Control Order (March 18 – 31, 2020) does not stop you from going out – but only to buy essential food and supplies or medication. You should go to the nearest place to get the items and not drive from Penang island to the mainland to buy vegetables (as was reported by the police to The Star). And certainly, you cannot go out to eat at restaurants which, if allowed to operate, can only provide takeaway or food delivery services.
Yet there are still people who are ignoring the orders to stay at home and seem to go longer distances than necessary. It’s understandable that being confined to the home is tough but this is a very serious situation and you need to do your part.
Think of how fortunate you are to be able to be at home when there are thousands of frontliners – the nurses, doctors, hospital cleaners and other healthcare personnel – who are risking their lives daily, fighting exhaustion and having to be away from their families and friends.
Because there are people who are stubborn and insist on doing what amounts to breaking the law, the police now have to increase restrictions on vehicle movements. Besides a restriction on interstate travel (as well as driving across the borders with Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia), passage through many toll plazas will no longer be permitted unless the vehicle driver can give a valid reason or show a document authorising movement. If not, the police will order the vehicle to be turned around and the occupants should return home.
The following are the PLUS toll plazas which have such restrictions at their entry lanes:
1) Jalan Duta
2) Sungei Besi
3) Skudai
4) Kuala Kangsar (Only vehicles headed north will be allowed to enter the highway. Vehicles headed south will be subject to restrictions).
5) Ayer Keroh
6) Tol Pedas Linggi
If you do not have a valid reason and are ordered to turn around, do not argue with the police. They are just doing their duty to protect us. Let’s not make things worse and force the government to extend the MCO.
Five days have passed since the Movement Control Order (MCO) was introduced and the restrictions will continue to the last day of this month. The MCO aims to limit movements of the public, who are supposed to remain at home, in order to slow down if not stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus in the country.
While most people have been following the directive to stay home (but can go out to purchase essentials and for valid reasons), there are also many who ignore it. Fortunately, the police are tolerant and keep offering advice to persuade them to stay home rather than just arrest them since they are committing an offence.
It seems that there are many who still do not understand the seriousness of the situation and continue to travel for social reasons, so the police (now assisted by the army) are tightening things up. Besides more roadblocks, travel from Penang island to the mainland is not permitted unless there are valid reasons (buying vegetables is not accepted).
File picture of the Jalan Duta toll plaza.
It has also been learnt that the toll plazas at Jalan Duta and Damansara on the edge of Kuala Lumpur are closed to traffic going towards the North-South Expressway. Only those who have valid reasons and permits will be allowed to pass through; all others will be told to turn around and go home. The restriction is likely to be until March 31, 2020, the last day of the MCO.
Incidentally, if you are planning to use an ATM, you can only do so between 7 am and 10 pm during the period of the MCO. Outside of those hours, the ATMs will be offline. While online banking services will be available as usual, operations at banks may be limited.
“You should expect some disruption or delays in normal branch operations in line with the need to ensure effective crowd containment. Some branches may be closed and branches that are open will have limited counter services or reduced operating hours,” Bank Negara explained in its latest FAQ.
If motorists are responsible and considerate, they would ensure that their tollcards have sufficient value before they travel on highways where toll is collected. With so many places, especially petrol stations, where the Touch’nGo cards can be reloaded, there is no excuse for not doing so. However, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) has found that many have insufficient balance in their tollcards, resulting in them having to reload at the toll plazas and causing traffic congestion at the exit lanes of the toll plazas.
To reduce traffic congestion on all outbound lanes in the Central Region toll plazas, PLUS made the decision to close the Reload Counters since August 1, 2019. This move, over the past 2 months, has seen a significant reduction of up to 48.2% in the number of low-traffic or inadequate balance customers trying to reload at the exit lanes at toll plazas in the Central Region which are located along routes between Seremban and Ipoh Selatan.
5% of motorists waste the time of 95%
On August 1, 2019, the first day, 5% of vehicles had insufficient balance for their tollcards. Although 5% is small, it involves 42,500 vehicles that queue up to reload, creating unnecessary congestion and wasting the time of 95% of other travellers on the highways.
The move to cease offering reload services at the toll plazas is also aimed at ensuring the safety of PLUS personnel as accidents involving heavy vehicles have occurred at toll booths in recent times.
“PLUS would like to thank the customers who have contributed to the 48.2% reduction in congestion at toll plazas in the Central Region by increasing their Touch’nGo card value. PLUS also appreciates the efforts of all Touch’nGo counters and service providers and counters and machines to ensure that Touch’nGo card or value-added kiosks are operating at all times to facilitate transactions,” the company’s statement said.
It added that this progressive initiative is also made possible with the strong support of the Malaysian Highway Authority, the regulator whose main aim is to ensure the safety and comfort of every Malaysian highway-user.
No more reload services in other regions soon
PLUS will continue to cease reload services at its toll plazas in the Southern and Northern Toll Plaza exit lanes soon.
Reload services are available at more than 10,000 locations nationwide such as ATMs, petrol stations, convenience stores, R&R areas and shopping malls.
