12 highway concessionaires agree to open toll payment system

A total of 12 highway concessionaires have agreed to implement an open toll payment system that will start this September, says Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.

These are the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE), Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersion Scheme Expressway (SPRINT), Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), SMART Tunnel and Maju Expressway (MEX).

The open toll payment system will also be implemented at the Sungai Besi Expressway, New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh), Guthrie Corridor Highway, Penang Bridge and Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE).

"So far, these are the highway concessionaires that have agreed to implement the open payment system. Negotiation is still underway with the others and we hope that more will come forward to participate," he said in Subang yesterday.

Nanta said discussions with the highway concessionaires took a long time because it was important to examine the security risks that would be incurred by credit or debit card users for toll payment.
 
"We want to make sure that no security issues occur, so we cannot rush the implementation," he said.

The open toll payment system is a government initiative to provide payment options for users besides paying in cash, using radio frequency identification or RFID, Touch 'n Go cards and SmartTAG.

On efforts to upgrade the routes of several highways, Nanta said these were ongoing including the widening of Johor’s Pasir Gudang and Sedenak highway routes, involving an allocation of RM525 million under Budget 2023.

"Preliminary works have been done and we leave it to PLUS to implement it fully," he added.