SINCE its introduction on Saturday, the cashless electronic toll collection (ETC) system at Batu Tiga and Sg Rasau plazas appears to be well-received by motorists using the North South Expressway.
Our checks at the Batu Tiga toll at 8am yesterday saw Kuala Lumpur-bound traffic flowing smoothly, especially at the SmartTag lanes while at the Touch ‘n Go lanes, the queue was short.
Motorists seemed to be adjusting well to the ETC which was initially slated to commence on Sept 1.
PLUS postponed the plan after receiving a directive from the Works Ministry, following feedback from the public for a delay in the implementation of the cashless system.
PLUS first made the announcement on going cashless at the two toll plazas in a statement issued on July 9.
Motorist Mohd Hanafi Othman, 30, said, compared with the first day of the ETC implementation at noon on Saturday, the traffic yesterday was smooth.
“Traffic was a little chaotic on the first day, but users seem to have adjusted quickly to the new system.
“By adapting to the new system, it makes a difference to the traffic flow,” he said.
Fatin Ainaa Ahmad Faudzi, 27, who travels daily from her house in Kapar to her office in Jalan Bukit Bintang, said the ETC helped make her journey to work less tedious.
“I use both the Sg Rasau and Batu Tiga toll plazas, and it was a daily headache travelling to work.
“Even with the SmartTag, I have to wait at the plazas because those who pay with cash are queuing up and they block the SmartTag and Touch ‘n Go lanes.
“Yesterday, the traffic was smooth and it made my journey more pleasant,” she said.
However, she said, the system is inconvenient to infrequent users of both toll plazas.
“They might not be aware of the change in system. I think PLUS should continue to inform its users,” she said.
For executive secretary at a private company, Noormah Hussin, 57, who travels from Shah Alam to her office at Persiaran Subang, said the system was a great move by PLUS.
“As I was approaching the Batu Tiga toll plaza yesterday morning, I was surprised that there was no bottleneck slowing down traffic.
“The ETC has helped ease the traffic flow at the toll plaza. It is very effective,” she said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the traffic after the implementation, PLUS chief operating officer Mohammad Fuad Khusairi said traffic had been smooth at both plazas.
“This is because the toll transaction time has been reduced tremendously and most users have already switched to the electronic collection system.”
He said SmartTag and Touch ‘n Go lanes can accommodate 1,000 and 550 transactions in an hour, respectively; whereas the cash lane can only accommodate 220 transactions per hour.
“We advise motorists to reload their cards before they get onto the highway to ensure a smooth journey.”
The RM5 PLUSMiles Touch ‘n Go cards can be purchased at dedicated reload lanes at the toll plazas.
The SmartTag can also be purchased at a special rate of RM99 at the Batu Tiga, Sg Rasau, Subang and Setia Alam toll plazas until year-end.
“PLUS is also offering up to 30 per cent toll rebates to those who pay toll electronically at Batu Tiga and Sg Rasau.
“From 10am to 3.59pm and 10pm to 5.59am daily, Class 1 users will get a 30 per cent rebate, while from 6am to 9.59am and 4pm to 9.59pm daily they will get 10 per cent rebate.”
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