BATU KAWAN, May 24 – The implementation of toll payments using the Radio Frequency Identification or RFID system should reduce congestion at toll plazas and inconvenience to highway users in the country. Yet four months after the implementation of the RFID system, the problems detected on the first day of comprehensive implementation on January 15, 2022 still persist to this day.
In reality, in the Batu Kawan Parliamentary constituency, almost every day PLUS highway users can see the failure of the RFID system at the toll plaza of the Penang Bridge, Juru and Batu Kawan. (Traffic on the Second Bridge and BORR is arguably not as high as the others.) Certainly some vehicles that could not pass the toll bar, had to sound the horn repeatedly to call PLUS officers who then used manual equipment to perform RFID identification.
There were also incidents of RFID tags not being detected manually, causing vehicles to have to switch to other routes. Most of the time like this, there are already long lines of vehicles behind the vehicles that get stuck and cause congestion. In addition to causing congestion and slowing down travel, the failure of the RFID system also causes stress to highway users when their vehicles get stuck.
The implementation of the RFID system is aimed at reducing long queues at toll plazas as well as saving highway users’ time. But the fact is, today the line of vehicles on the RFID route is longer and time consuming, while the movement on the Touch n Go and Smart Tag routes is smoother. Of course, this situation does not happen all the time, but whenever it does, it seems that consumers who take the initiative to switch to RFID systems are the ones who are punished for the failure of a system that is supposed to be more sophisticated than before.
Which is not the case, there are RFID users who are considering returning to the use of Touch n Go or Smart Tag, or have to use two services namely Touch n Go or Smart Tag and RFID at the same time to avoid inconvenience at the toll plaza. Meanwhile, Touch n Go and Smart Tag users are still hesitant to switch to the use of RFID after seeing the failure of the RFID system. Try to imagine the panic situation that elderly drivers and O-K-U disabled drivers have to go through at anxious moments at the toll plaza.
MUDA Batu Kawan urges highway operators, especially PLUS Malaysia Berhad to take accountability to acknowledge these ongoing weaknesses, provide public explanations to highway users and act pro-actively to address problems that persist on a daily basis. Is it very difficult for PLUS to use traceable RFID tags regardless of being affixed to any part of the vehicle? Given that RFID systems have only just been introduced in the country, it means the implementation of Multi -Lane Free Flow or toll payments without toll plazas will only become a reality in the long run.
Thus, MUDA Batu Kawan urges PLUS and other highway operators not to take the people’s complaints lightly, instead immediately find a solution to the RFID system problem, thus fulfilling the promise of offering a smooth and comfortable experience and journey. Meanwhile, the government, especially the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Transport should also take responsibility by playing a role in monitoring developments in resolving this issue.
