Highway operators LITRAK, KESAS, and SMART have announced that the open payment system is now on trial at their respective highways, which include LDP, SPRINT, the Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS), and the SMART tunnel. Just in case you didn’t know, this system essentially gives highway users additional options in making toll payments using credit and debit cards, which is on top of the usual Touch ‘n Go, SmartTag, and radio frequency identification (MyRFID) methods.
The LDP, SPRINT, and KESAS highways, alongside the SMART tunnel, are four of the 12 highways chosen by the Ministry of Works (KKR) to implement the open payment system, which is planned to launch next month (September 2023). Prior to this, the Maju Expressway (MEX) was one of the first highways to have conducted pilot tests for the payment system earlier this month.
The aforementioned 12 highways that have been chosen to implement the open payment system are as follows:
- Butterworth-Kulim Expressway (BKE)
- Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP)
- Duta-Ulu, Kelang Expressway (DUKE)
- Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE)
- Maju Expressway (MEX)
- New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
- Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS)
- Sungai Besi Expressway (BESRAYA)
- Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersion Scheme Expressway (SPRINT)
- Penang Bridge
- SMART tunnel
Looking forward, the open payment system will be an important stepping stone in transitioning to the non-stop toll collection system known as the multi-lane free flow (MLFF) system. Aimed to be implemented by 2025, this system will utilise a gantry system without dedicated booths or lanes and features RFID payment and automated number plate recognition (ANPR) systems. This as a result should help reduce traffic congestion as vehicles would no longer need to queue or stop to pay for toll.
