The Works Ministry has announced that Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology will be implemented for light private vehicles (Class 1) on the North-South Expressway from Juru in Penang to Skudai in Johor from 15th January 2022. This means the entire highway infrastructure on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia including PLUS is RFID enabled from the middle of next month, providing a seamless and faster experience for highway users.
According to the statement, RFID toll transactions will help reduce congestion at the toll plazas and it is a step towards a Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) highway experience. It added that the RFID lanes will allow a passthrough speed of 30km/h and the toll charges will be deducted from the Touch ‘n Go eWallet which can be topped up easily via a smartphone.
The Works Ministry added that Touch ‘n Go and SmartTAG lanes are still available but they will be phased out in stages in order to provide more RFID lanes before MLFF is implemented. The Works Ministry and the Malaysian Highway Authority encourage highway users to make the switch to RFID to enjoy a seamless travel experience with the latest technology.
Highway users can purchase the RFID tags online for RM35 and you can install them yourself on your vehicle’s windscreen or headlamp. If you need help, there are 39 RFID sales and installation points through west Malaysia and more will be added to enable more people to switch to RFID. The RFID is linked to your Touch ‘n Go eWallet account and you can enable auto-reload with your saved credit or debit card for greater convenience.
It was recently reported that PLUS will have at least one RFID lane in each toll plaza on its highways by early 2022 and they are deploying RFID with Automated Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) which uses AI and high-resolution cameras. According to Teras, the technology subsidiary under PLUS, the ANPR acts as a secondary layer of identification to avoid penalising motorists who accidentally use a different payment method to enter the highway and it helps to solve payment disputes. RFID with ANPR was enabled on PLUS Highway from Hutan Kampung to Sungai Dua on 31st October 2021. The government targets to introduce Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) highway with RFID by 2026.
