- 18 percent of highway users now paying with MyRFID
- RFID selected over IR-based SmartTag for MLFF goal due to lower cost
- Still no permanent solution to complaints of poor detection of RFID tags
At yesterday’s Dewan Rakyat sitting, Senior Minister at the Works Ministry Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof explained that prior to adopting an RFID-based electronic toll collection system, it had also studied infrared-based (IR) SmartTag-type technology used in countries like Singapore, but such a technology was not adopted due to its higher cost.
“The ministry had also studied barrier-less toll collection like the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) used in Singapore. However due to constraints on cost and implementation of a business model that will be a burden to local users, the system was not implemented in Malaysia.
“Therefore, an RFID-based technology was chosen over an IR-based one used by SmartTag, because RFID uses radio frequencies with a wider detection range, plus it has a lower cost.
“When compared to SmartTag which uses infrared technology, the effectiveness of this technology is still not proven in implementation of MLFF (multi-lane free flow, a technical term for barrier-less electronic toll collection). In comparison, RFID which has been widely used by many developed countries that have implemented MLFF.
SmartTag-style IR-based system is used by trucks to travel 12,000 km of German autobahn
At this point, we should point out that Germany’s autobahn, which is one of the best highways in the world, use SmartTag-style IR-based technology for its barrier-less electronic toll collection.
It’s only used on trucks because passenger cars don’t pay toll in Germany. They do however, pay very high fuel tax and parking charges, especially in city centres.
SmartTag lane closed. Both RFID lanes jammed up.
Going back to the the Dewan Rakyat sitting, Minister Fadillah added:
“Referring to the cost of RFID, it’s just RM 35, inclusive of RFID tag, installation, and operating system. However, the government has requested that TnG Sdn Bhd to study again its cost structure to reduce the selling price of RFID tags.
“TnG is the service provider for toll collection systems for all highways in Malaysia. It is responsible for the appointment of contractors and supplier of RFID tags.”
Although you can buy MyRFID tags online and install it yourself, we recommend that you have it tested at an installation centre
The Minister also said pilot trials for RFID has been done on highways in Klang Valley since 2017, and on PLUS highways since 1-January 2020.
He also said that the Works Ministry acknowledged the negative reaction from users following the wide scale rollout of RFID by PLUS, which has since implemented some temporary measures including reintroducing Touch N’ Go lanes as well as assigning more staff on toll plazas to assist users facing any problems.
Fadillah also said that Touch N’ Go lanes can only clear 450 cars per hour, but RFID and SmartTag can clear 1,000 cars per hour. However he added that the longer term goal is to have barrier-less electronic toll collection, so the vehicle doesn’t need to slow down / stop.
The Dewan Rakyat was also told that usage of MyRFID now stands at 18 percent.
When asked by Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Seri Dr. Haji Dzulkefly on immediate measures to solve issues of scanners not detecting RFID tags of many vehicles, the Minister did not give a clear answer other than repeating the temporary measures announced by PLUS earlier.
Separately, PLUS has also said that many instances of failed detection were actually caused by users with insufficient balance in their e-wallet rather than a genuine technical issue. It advised users to enable auto reload function on their e-wallet.
Keyword: Works Ministry explains why RFID was chosen over IR-based SmartTag