KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia could soon introduce a barrierless toll booth system to ease congestion on major highways in efforts to revamp its toll-collection processes and manage traffic congestion.
Plus Malaysia, the country’s largest highway operator, will begin targeted public trials of an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) system in mid-August on the main North-South Expressway, involving thousands of participants, according to an industry source familiar with the plans. The trials, if successful, will form a key component of a nationwide barrierless toll system that could be implemented by 2027.
“This pilot is a crucial step in our shift towards the multi-lane fast flow (MLFF) system. We are starting with ANPR to evaluate its reliability and accuracy in real traffic conditions before rolling out a full-scale system. The aim is to reduce congestion at specific toll lanes and eventually eliminate the need for toll barriers altogether,” the source told The Straits Times.
The Works Ministry is proceeding with the MLFF toll-collection system through a direct business-to-business (B2B) model, Deputy Minister Ahmad Maslan told Parliament on Aug 6.
“The government remains committed to implementing the MLFF system via a B2B model, with no financial burden on the government,” he said, addressing recent concerns regarding a previously projected cost of RM3.46 billion (S$1.05 billion) to the government.
Another trial – a collaboration between Touch ‘n Go and CIMB – on the Kemuning-Shah Alam Expressway involves the installation of gantries and other supporting infrastructure, he added.
MLFF solutions typically involve a barrierless toll system that charges motorists as they pass through gantries without needing to stop, tap a card, or slow down. Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) is one example of its implementation.
According to the source familiar with the Plus project, the pilot will involve selected members of the public and marks an early phase in the broader transition to a barrierless toll system. The ANPR trial is an initiative led by the highway concessionaire itself, rather than a government-led roll-out.
Plus operates Malaysia’s longest highway, the 748km North-South Expressway, and six other highways, including the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link or Tuas Second Link – which in total serve more than 1.8 million users daily.
Its majority shareholder, Malaysian sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional, owns a 51 per cent stake in Plus through its UEM Group subsidiary. The remaining 49 per cent of Plus is held by state pension fund Employees Provident Fund (EPF).
Modelled after Singapore’s ERP, where motorists pass seamlessly through a barrierless toll system while being charged accordingly, the planned system in Malaysia will use ANPR and e-payment technology to allow vehicles to pass through toll booths without stopping.
Plus’ early trials will begin on the North-South Expressway, involving nine toll plazas between Hutan Kampung and Sungai Dua in northern Penang state.
In future, motorists will no longer need to stick their hands out the window to tap their physical payment cards against a scanner, as is still the case at most toll booths for drivers using Touch ‘n Go, credit or debit cards.
Other motorists use SmartTAG or radio frequency identification (RFID) in-vehicle units for faster toll payments without cash. Even so, ANPR detection is said to be up to four times faster than RFID, based on tests, according to the same source.
SmartTAG uses infrared technology to communicate with a sensor at the toll booth, while RFID relies on a sticker on the vehicle’s windshield or headlamp that is scanned by overhead readers.
Both SmartTAG and RFID still require cars to slow down while passing through dedicated lanes, while this would not be necessary with the MLFF system.
To use the system, trial participants have to download a mobile app, input their car registration numbers and link a payment method such as a credit or debit card.
The ANPR cameras installed at the toll plazas, which are already in use at many shopping mall carparks in Malaysia, will capture vehicle number plates in real time, check them against a centralised database, and initiate payment from the linked account without requiring the vehicle to slow down or stop.
For now, vehicles that are part of the August trial will still have to pass through the existing toll booths with barriers to test the ANPR system. These barriers could be removed in future further tests.
The app, which is free to use, will detect and process toll payments as drivers pass through the gantries. It will also provide access to travel history, receipts and, eventually, enforcement notices.
“This is not just about eliminating toll booths. The aim is to eventually integrate payment, enforcement and even subsidy eligibility into a single platform. This kind of integration in future will benefit all motorists,” the source familiar with the pilot told ST.
Observers say the shift to the ANPR system and app-based payment could significantly cut delays at border checkpoints and toll plazas for those travelling on Malaysia’s roads, including Singaporeans, who make more than four million road trips to Malaysia each year.
Malaysia has long wanted a barrierless toll system but efforts to roll out a nationwide system have repeatedly stalled due to resistance from some highway concessionaires and regulatory delays.
The government’s most recent attempt was terminated in late 2024 after it failed to secure buy-in from some toll operators. The contractor involved was criticised for its lack of relevant experience and high cost. In the absence of a functioning national system, major concessionaires like Plus have embarked on plans to test their own solutions. Other places such as Taiwan are already using similar MLFF systems.
Malaysia’s highways have long been plagued by bottlenecks at toll booths, especially during holiday periods and weekends. Analysts say the planned barrierless system could dramatically reduce congestion and improve the driving experience across the country.
Toll plazas are among the biggest bottlenecks on Malaysian highways, noted Professor Ir Dr Ahmad Farhan Mohd Sadullah, a transport expert and vice-chancellor at Universiti Putra Malaysia.
“Long queues, as well as chaotic traffic situations, are observed during peak hours on all lanes in any toll plaza on urban expressways,” he told ST.
Toll plazas are among the biggest bottlenecks on Malaysian highways.
ST PHOTO: HAZLIN HASSAN
Existing toll systems require vehicles to slow or stop for payment and gate control, adding a few seconds of waiting time per vehicle. With high traffic volumes, those seconds add up quickly to form long queues.
An MLFF system would reduce severe traffic congestion, especially at peak hours, as vehicles will no longer be required to stop or slow down in the absence of physical barriers.
Plus’ move to test its ANPR system is likely a direct response to delays in the national MLFF roll-out, said Datuk Ahmad Farhan.
But whether the new system can deliver depends on overcoming several hurdles, including the ability to trace offenders who fail to register or link a payment method, observers say. Much will also hinge on the strength of the government’s regulatory framework and enforcement mechanisms to support the system.
On how the system would handle toll evasion, Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said on Aug 6 that motorists who fail to pay will receive notices, and future enforcement could include blocking road tax renewals.
“Enforcement remains a critical unresolved issue. Current legislation does not allow toll operators to pursue motorists who exit without paying. Linking unpaid tolls to road tax renewals via the Road Transport Department is under consideration but requires new regulations,” said transport analyst Wan Agyl Wan Hassan, founder of transport think-tank My Mobility Vision.
