PLUS Malaysia Bhd has said that it will help motorists travelling on its highways to replace any damaged radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers for free. This is on top of other steps that are being taken to assist highway customers who experience tag detection issues while using the RFID lane at toll plazas.

According to the strategic stakeholder engagement chief of PLUS Malaysia Bhd, Syed Mohammed Idid Syed Ahmed Idid, additional staff members have been assigned at toll plazas to offer any necessary aid. “When a vehicle’s RFID can’t be detected, a PLUS employee will use a handheld device to scan the RFID tag. If it still can’t be detected, a Touch ‘n Go voucher will be given to the customer for them to bring their vehicle to the nearest Touch ‘n Go fitment centre for a diagnostic assessment, and if the RFID is found to be faulty, Touch ‘n Go will replace it for free,” he said.

This move came following recent reports of massive congestions at several toll plazas in the Klang Valley during peak hours, caused by RFID failures during rainy conditions. These included the Putra Mahkota and Sungai Besi toll plazas. In turn, PLUS took immediate remedial measures by dispatching more personnel and by making RFID signages more visible.  

These efforts are crucial in encouraging the public’s confidence in RFID as PLUS has recently begun implementing RFID technology for Class 1 vehicles along the North-South Expressway, starting from Juru, Penang to Skudai, Johor. With regard to the rollout, Syed Mohammed Idid stressed that the RFID pioneer project is considered to be both more cost effective and convenient as it requires little to no maintenance. Motorists can also link RFID to their e-wallets for a more seamless toll fare payment experience.

Additionally, Syed Mohammed Idid noted the public’s comments about the high price of the RFID stickers, but only said that the RM35 price tag was set by TNG. He further addressed the public’s concerns about the use of TNG cards and SmartTAG being gradually phased out, saying that they should not worry as these payment channels are still employed in many toll plazas nationwide.

Separately, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob has also emphasised that road users must be given the freedom to decide if they would like to pay their toll fares using RFID, TNG, or SmartTAG. While the RFID is a good effort, it is still a pioneer project that must be fine-tuned, and as such, the people should be given a choice, he stated.  

(Sources: The Edge Markets, Bernama)

• TAGS:
• PLUS
• PLUS Expressway
• PLUS Malaysia Bhd
• PLUS RFID
• RFID
• Syed Mohammed Idid Syed Ahmed Idid
• TNG
• TNG RFID
• Touch 'n Go
• Touch 'n Go Card
• Touch 'n Go RFID