TOUCH ‘n Go Sdn Bhd (TnG) plans to launch the much-anticipated Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system in January next year.
According to its chief executive officer Syahrunizam Samsudin, the system is currently in its pilot stage. There are 100,000 applicants who are interested to try out the system during its pre-launch.
“So far, there are only 10 per cent, or about 10,000 successful applications. We are targeting to reach 100,000 by end of this year,” he said.
The RFID system uses a tamper-proof sticker that can be attached to a car’s headlight or windscreen.
Syahrunizam said the sticker works well with Road Transport Department-approved windscreen tints. However, its signals may not go well with metallised window films.
The installation of the sticker takes less than 10 minutes, he said, adding, however, that users need to go to a TnG fitting centre to replace if it is damaged.
TnG said the RFID system is still under trial and an improved version may be introduced in due course.
Concurrently, the company said the sticker has a five-year average lifespan and was designed to stand Malaysian weather conditions.
Users are advised not to use chemicals to wash the RFID sticker area.
In order to use the TnG RFID system, a user will have to register online and download the TnG eWallet smartphone app. The app allows the user to check their balance and toll transactions, as well as to perform top-ups.
A user can register multiple vehicles in an eWallet account. Each RFID sticker is registered to a particular vehicle. If an eWallet account has multiple cars registered with it, each car will have its own RFID sticker.
Currently, the RFID sticker is free for pilot users, and TnG has yet to announce its price.
Approved pilot users can have the RFID fitted at five designated centres — Customer Experience Centre in Bangsar South, Besraya Highway’s Loke Yew toll, Maju Expressway’s Salak Selatan toll, New Pantai Expressway’s Pantai Dalam toll and Kesas Expressway’s Awan Besar R&R.
Currently, the company is expanding the fitting services to petrol stations nationwide and also looking at mobile-fitting stations.
Syahrunizam said the RFID system would not replace the SmartTag system. Instead, it would use both the systems if the government decided to implement the Multi-Lane Free Flow system in the future.