Abdul Rahman assured the MLFF payment options for consumers will be diversified, and not limited to only one payment provider – unlike the existing implementation. “This will indirectly help users to overcome the issue of not having sufficient balance when going through the gantry at the toll plaza, and thus further facilitate the movement of highway users,” he said.
The deputy minister’s statement was part of a response to a question by PN-Masjid Tanah representative Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, who asked if the government has any plans to overcome the issues of the existing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, which are causing congestion at toll plazas. Abdul Rahman explained that highway concessionaires have been requested to make more frequent adjustments to improve efficiency, and noted that complete removals of the system’s toll bars isn’t a recommended solution as it involves legal issues and other related matters. Back in March, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced that additional RFID lanes have been deployed across 12 toll plazas on the North-South Expressway (NSE), thanks to PLUS Highway’s efforts. The move was originally proposed in January this year, following an influx of complaints by motorists regarding the system. One of which was by former Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who shared his frustration on Twitter.
As for the upcoming MLFF system, it was previously revealed that its implementation across Peninsular Malaysia is expected to happen in 2025. For now, two highways have been selected to be the testing grounds for the system’s proof of concept. These include the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) and the Sungai Besi Highway, which are scheduled to begin implementations by September and October respectively within this year. (Source: Bernama)
