AS more toll plazas are outfitted with the electronic toll collection (ETC) system, one would think that toll rates would go down, as highway concessionaires would make huge savings from doing away with the need to hire toll collectors.
But, as of now, the rates have more or less remained the same. And, highway users are burdened with the need to purchase Touch ’n Go cards.
The problem is that every time a card is reloaded at a petrol station, consumers have to bear a 50 sen service charge and the six per cent Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is imposed by a majority of petrol stations. So, a consumer ends up paying an additional 53 sen, and I feel this cost should not be shouldered by consumers, who are already paying toll. Of course, highway concessionaires and Touch ’n Go Sdn Bhd will argue that highway users have the option to top-up their cards at toll plazas, but the queue, especially during rush hour, can be challenging. And, most of the time, only one lane is open for such transactions and it is not operating 24 hours.
There are agents that do not charge the extra fee, but they are few, making it inconvenient for consumers.
There is also a lack of publicity on such agents.
Another observation made whentrying to top-up the Touch’n Go card at petrol stations and other places is that the system is frequently out of order. Purchasing a smartTAG unit, on the other hand, costs RM104.95 (GST included), with a minimum credit purchase of RM20 for Touch ’n Go. Though the cost of purchasing the unit is one-off, it still involves consumers forking out money, and they have to bear the operational cost (batteries) for the unit, too.
While it is encouraging that toll plazas are finally going cashless, the ETC system is inefficient and not user-friendly. It unfairly imposes extra cost on highway users. Many also face problems, especially when they do not have SmartTAG units to check the balance on their Touch ’n Go cards. When they get stuck at toll plazas due to insufficient balance on their cards, it causes congestion.
It is, perhaps, time to put in place a more efficient system as used in other countries, like the autoPASS in Norway. If we plan to fully implement the ETC system by 2018, do not impose extra cost, and ensure that the system is user-friendly and efficient in terms of transaction time.
N.K. ARASU
Broga, Selangor