PLUS begins ANPR toll fare collection pilot on Hutan Kampung-Sungai Dua stretch of NSE

PLUS Malaysia has announced the pilot running of the automated number plate recognition (ANPR) open payment tolling system for private vehicles along the Hutan Kampung-Sungai Dua stretch of the North-South Expressway (NSE).

“Under the initiative, registered users are no longer tied to specific lanes, gaining the flexibility to enter and exit through any toll lane at nine toll plazas: Hutan Kampung, Alor Setar Utara, Alor Setar Selatan, Pendang, Gurun, Sungai Petani Utara, Sungai Petani Selatan, Bertam and Sungai Dua,” read the statement by PLUS.

To use the PLUS ANPR open tolling system, highway users need to download the PLUS JustGo mobile app (available on Google Play and App Store), register their vehicles, link their preferred payment method, and proceed to drive. Existing methods such as Touch ‘n Go, SmartTag and RFID continue to be available, says PLUS Malaysia.

No additional devices are required, and no upfront cost is imposed upon users, while additional payment methods such as e-wallets and online banking will be introduced in the coming months, says PLUS Malaysia.

The JustGo mobile app functions as an open payment digital platform intended to be co-owned by the highway industry, as it works to expand toll payment options in line with the Malaysian government’s aim to provide more flexible payment options, says PLUS Malaysia.

While the pilot running of the ANPR system on this stretch of the NSE “marks an important milestone towards the future implementation of Multi Lane Fast Flow (MLFF) in Malaysia,” PLUS Malaysia stated that barriers will remain in place as the pilot programme progresses, and users are advised to maintain speeds between 20 km/h and 25 km/h when passing through the toll plazas.

PLUS Malaysia has been carrying out extensive testing of the ANPR system, it said, and test results indicate faster detection compared to existing tolling systems through wider coverage by the cameras at toll plazas.