Malaysia will soon begin public trials of a barrierless toll booth system using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) technology, in a move to modernise toll collection and reduce highway congestion.
According to PLUS Malaysia, the pilot programme will start in mid-August on the North-South Expressway, involving thousands of selected participants, The Straits Times reported.
Faster, smoother journeys
If successful, the ANPR system will become a core part of the country’s multi-lane fast flow (MLFF) toll system, which authorities aim to fully roll out by 2027.
Unlike current toll systems that require drivers to slow down or stop, ANPR uses high-resolution cameras to identify vehicles and automatically deduct toll charges via linked e-payment accounts.
Works Minister Dato’ Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the initial trial will cover the stretch from Hutan Kampung to Sungai Dua in Penang before expanding across the entire PLUS network.
“I tested the ANPR open toll payment system myself and was able to pass through the toll lane without stopping, and it was clearly much faster,” he said, adding that the platform also allows users to pay via various cashless methods, view e-invoices, track toll transactions, and access additional mobility services in stages.
How the trial works
The pilot will start at nine toll plazas between Hutan Kampung and Sungai Dua. To participate, users must:
- Download a free mobile app
- Register their vehicle number
- Link a payment method such as a credit or debit card
The ANPR cameras will scan vehicle plates, match them to a central database, and deduct tolls automatically. While physical barriers will still be present during the trial, they may be removed in later phases.
Up to 4x faster than RFID
ANPR can process tolls up to four times faster than radio frequency identification (RFID), which, like SmartTAG, still requires vehicles to slow down.
The initiative mirrors similar systems in Singapore’s Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) and toll collection in Taiwan, signalling Malaysia’s shift towards a fully open-road tolling future.
Deputy Works Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan told Parliament earlier this week that the MLFF system will operate on a business-to-business model and will not impose any financial burden on the government.
