Looks like it’s time to kiss our bulky ( and the target of every thief) SmartTags goodbye because it looks like it will be replaced with a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Director General of Malaysia Highway Authority, Dato Ismail Bin Md Salleh announced that come 28 January 2018, this feature will be open to the public.
The current SmartTag forces us to slow down at tolls, giving the system time to scan our tags, causing slow downs either way. With RFID, drivers are not required to slow down anymore as the system is able to scan the RFID from a distance and is far more accurate. Currently there is a trial run happening at eight tolls around the Klang Valley but for the time being, it is only available to the police, fire brigade, and ambulance. They mention that this new feature is still very much in the testing phase but they expect to have at least one RFID enabled lane in each toll by next year for the public to utilize.
When 2020 comes around, it is expected that all tolls will implement this new system in hopes to cull the traffic issues that have plagued all of us for years. I do believe this calls for some discussion, let us know what you think about this new system and if you are happy to ditch SmartTags in the comments.
