KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) has shelved its plan to introduce cashless toll collection at the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas today (Sept 1).
This was following a directive from the Works Ministry and feedback from the public who had asked for more time to prepare for the new electronic payment system.
Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) director-general Datuk Ismail Mohd Salleh said this would give road users more time to purchase the PLUSMiles or Touch ‘n Go cards.
“After taking into account various factors and views, especially the public, the Works Ministry has instructed PLUS to postpone the implementation of the electronic toll transaction initiative at the two toll plazas,” he said in a statement.
Ismail said move to an electronic transaction system would expedite payment and reduce congestion at toll plazas.
It would also allow the concessionaire to facilitate rebate or discount programmes that would reduce the burden of highway users, he added.
Ismail said the move to go cashless was in tandem with the ministry’s target to achieve 80 per cent electronic transactions by 2016 and to eliminate delays at toll plazas nationwide.
He said MHA’s research showed that traffic jams would ease by four percent if road users opt for the cashless system.
As of July, 62 per cent of highway users opted for electronic toll collection (ETC).
ETC offers faster throughput (Touch ‘n Go at 480 to 600 vehicles per hour, SmartTag at 900 to 1,200 vehicles per hour) as compared with 400 to 600 vehicles per hour using the conventional method.
Ismail, had on Jan 4 said that MHA was looking at toll plazas with high volume around Klang Valley to convert to totally to ETC.
He said the government was looking into the implementation of the Multi-Lane Free-Flow (MLFF) gantry electronic toll system to ease traffic flow at the toll booths, and this would be materialised if the ETC penetration rate in Klang Valley reaches 80 per cent.
PLUS first made the announcement on going full on cashless at the two toll plazas in a statement issued on July 9.
PLUS managing director Datuk Noorizah Abd Hamid in the statement said all transactions at the two toll plazas would be conducted through the PLUSMiles, Touch ‘n Go cards, and SmartTAG.
This measure, she said, was an initiative by PLUS to encourage the use of the electronic toll system which would be easy and convenient and help highway users enjoy a smooth drive through the toll plazas.
It was reported that the two plazas have been identified as the most congested, hence the move to go cashless first.
Four other congested booths are the Plaza Ebor on the Elite Highway; Plaza Pantai Dalam (New Pantai Expressway); Plaza Keramat (KL-bound) (Akleh); and Plaza A (Penang Bridge).
Meanwhile, an official from PLUS said to date, more than 70 per cent of toll users at Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau are using electronic payment.
He said although the implementation has been postponed, PLUS would continue to educate the public on the benefits of paying toll electronically and continue its electronic toll collection promotions.
“PLUSMiles and Touch ‘n Go cards will be on sales at RM5 each at the Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas. There is also a RM99 SmartTag promo (upon reload of mininum RM30) at Batu Tiga and Sungai Rasau toll plazas.
“Besides that, reload lanes will be opened 24/7 at the two toll plazas,” he said.
The official said PLUS would be giving toll rebates for four months beginning today for Class One vehicles.
Class One vehicles which pay toll electronically during off peak hours (between 10am and 3.59pm and 10pm and 5.59pm) will get rebates of up to 30 per cent, and 10 per cent during peak hours (between 6am and 9.59am and 4pm and 9.59pm).
There are 22 toll lanes at Batu Tiga and 18 at Sungai Rasau.
Meanwhile, the move for a cashless transaction at toll plazas garnered mixed reactions from the public.
Engineer Edzwan Redza Anwar, 35, from Shah Alam said PLUS should have advertised its cashless collection at these two toll plazas to a wider audience, instead of just putting up banners along the highway.
He said the message on the buntings or banners would only reach frequent road users passing through the tolls.
Student Simitha Thuraisingam, 25, from Bangsar said tolls nationwide should go cashless.
“It’ll ease traffic congestion. I am a Smart Tag user and use the NPE a lot but there are times when I am blocked by a long queue because of cars which are backed up from the cash booths although the Smart Tag booths are running smoothly.”
However, a frequent Batu Tiga toll user, student Nabila Azmi, 25, said at times a SmartTag can’t be read at the booths and that causes congestion as well.
“What happens if the machine breaks down? Or if the user forgot to reload their cards?
“Besides, it would be unfair to force non-frequent road users to get a Touch ‘n Go or SmartTag.”