A COMMON myth about toll collectors is that their job provides them with an opportunity to pocket the toll charges on top of the salary they receive.
Given the number of vehicles that pass through the toll plazas each day, it is only natural for the public to suspect that the toll collectors might be earning quite a bit of “side income” by shortchanging users or not keying in the transactions at all.
A reader, who wanted to be known only as Eddie, said he had once asked for a toll receipt but was told by the toll booth operator that she could not produce one as she had “pressed Class 4 (taxi) accidentally instead of Class 1 (private car)”.
As the toll rates for taxis and buses are cheaper than for private cars and lorries, the toll booth operator offered the difference to him.
Automated: There is a simple monitor and keyboard in front of the toll booth operator for him to key in the vehicle class. “At first, I thought I was lucky by only having to pay half of the usual fare, until I realised her actual ploy!” Eddie said.
After his encounter, Eddie is convinced that the allegations of toll booth operators pocketing the change is not without basis.
Eddie, who described it as daylight robbery, is worried that the dishonest act might cause a hefty loss to the toll concessionaires, who would, in turn, pass on the burden to the highway users.
He also mentioned a friend’s unwillingness to work as a toll booth operator to avoid being part of the team that shortchanged the public.
“When you are not part of the team, they will make your life so difficult that you would have no choice but to resign,” he said.
Closely watched: Azman said the operators would have to fork out their own money if there was any shortfall. StarMetro talked to two toll concessionaires in the Klang Valley to find out how true the allegations were.
Kesas, which operates the Shah Alam Expressway, said there was a check and balance system in its toll collection and the amount keyed in by the operators are compared with the data captured by the system.
A pressure-sensitive device called a treadle is installed on the road to detect vehicles that pass through the toll booth.
“It will determine whether it is Class 1 (four tyres and two axles), Class 2 (six tyres and two axles) or Class 3 (six tyres and three axles),” Kesas financial and corporate division deputy general manager Abdul Rashid Rahman said.
Litrak, concessionaire of the Damansara-Puchong Expressway, added that if there was any violation, like a teller keying in a different class than what is sensed by the system or raising the Automated Lane Barrier without punching in the transaction, an alarm would be triggered.
As such, the receipts issued to highway users are merely an acknowledgement of the transaction and not as a proof that the transaction has been keyed into the system.
When a toll collector finishes his shift, an End of Job report will be printed at the toll plaza office, detailing the data punched in by the operator and the numbers detected by the system.
Electronic option: Highway users afraid of being shortchanged are encouraged to use the Touch ‘n Go card or Smart Tag. “The toll supervisor in the office will then ensure reconciliation (whether the two accounts match),” Rashid explained.
Furthermore, there are also Toll Fare Indicator (TFI) and Class Repeater Sign (CRS), with the former displayed on the electronic board in front of the driver.
“TFI is in place for the road users to make sure that what they pay is the same as what is captured by the toll booth operator.
“CRS, on the other hand, is positioned in such a way that it faces the control centre and the toll plaza – the supervisor at the control centre will be able to see if there’s any reclassification by the toll teller,” Rashid said.
Litrak has a similar system in place, and it stressed that any breakdown in the machinery will be rectified within 24 hours to ensure smooth operations.
Litrak chief executive officer Sazally Saidi and toll operations manager Azman Md. Din said the toll booth operators were required to fork out money from their own pockets if the toll collection was less than what it should be.
“If the collection is more than what is captured in the system, the extra would be channelled to our charity funds.
“The toll operators have to explain the excess or shortfall, which will be reported to the Malaysian Highway Authority monthly,” Sazally said.
But what if the toll booth operators secretly store coins or notes in their pockets or bags?
“Their uniforms do not have pockets. They are also not allowed to carry any personal belongings into the booths that are equipped with CCTV cameras for us to monitor their moves,” Sazally said.
The operators are given a total of one-and-a-half hours of breaks during their eight-hour shifts, and regular spot checks are conducted at the toilets to make sure that they do not keep money inside.
However, Litrak stressed that the route is designed as such that the toll tellers, after ending their shifts, would proceed straight to the cash counting room instead of making a detour to the washrooms to retrieve the coins stored.
The system also prevents the toll tellers from recognising the actual collection before the declaration takes place to deter matching should they have the intention to pocket the excess.
“If found guilty of siphoning any money, the operators face serious punishment that could lead to an expulsion,” Sazally said.
Most importantly, Litrak rewards honest and responsible toll tellers who only record a total of RM5 discrepancy per month.
“They will be given RM50 and most would keep on their toes as they do not want to lose this monthly incentive,” Sazally said.
However, one big question remains — the treadle would not be able to differentiate taxis and private cars as both have four tyres and two axles.
Litrak admitted that it was the only setback but the company was aware of the pattern, as in the number of taxis using the highway, thus it was capable of spotting any unusual collections.
Plus, frequent internal audits and CCTV monitoring would have the toll booth operators on their best behaviour.
The public also plays an important role — highway users are urged to come forward to report to Litrak on any wrongdoings by the tellers, like the two users that complained of a shortchange of 30sen and 60sen respectively this year.
“We have zero tolerance for this dishonest behaviour. Just tell us the date, time, lane number and the teller’s name and we will investigate,” he said.
The highway users are also encouraged to migrate to the electronic payment method (Touch ‘n Go and Smart Tag) to avoid this problem and also to ease the congestion at toll plazas.
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