DUKE MLFF Testing Underway - Coexistence Of On Board Unit & Number Plate Recognition Considered

The Edge reported earlier this week that the government's proposed multi-lane fast flow (MLFF) toll collecting system appears to be gaining traction, with at least two highway concessionaires — the most recent being Ekovest Bhd — taking part in experimental testing of the system.

Ekovest, the concessionaire of the Duta-Ulu Klang Motorway (DUKE), said it is working with its technology partner, Amtel Holdings Bhd, to conduct pilot testing of the system on its route.

According to Tan Sri Lim Keng Cheng, managing director of Ekovest, the business has been undertaking proof of concept (POC) testing for the MLFF system with Amtel since late 2022, as part of its initiative to reduce congestion and accidents on its roadways.

DUKE and Amtel hope to demonstrate the interoperability of on-board unit (OBU) systems with future MLFF technology, which is expected to be camera-based, in the private POC. In practise, the prospective integration of the two technologies is not dissimilar to Singapore's computerised road pricing system.

"The private POC is currently proceeding smoothly," Lim noted, "and DUKE intends to share its findings with the Ministry of Works (KKR) and Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) for their consideration with the MLFF technology provider."

According to Lim, DUKE is the second highway to participate in the system's proof-of-concept testing. The first is the Sungai Besi Motorway (Besraya), which is supposedly owned and operated by IJM Corp Bhd.

Chester Koid Siang Loong, Amtel's chief executive officer, said the company is still striving to improve the system's efficacy before submitting it to KKM. "MLFF is a game changer for Malaysian road users." We will give the MLFF pilot data to KKR for consideration after both Ekovest and Amtel are satisfied with the outcomes," he added.

He does not, however, remark on the submission's timeline. According to Koid, two key components are involved in the implementation of MLFF: a camera-based system with number plate recognition for detection and enforcement, also known as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), and a battery-powered tag-based system for toll fare deduction.

Koid stated that a battery-powered gadget such as an OBU, also known as an In-Vehicle Unit (IU) in Singapore, will provide better outcomes than a sticker tag.

However, he also stated that while the introduction of RFID or other alternative devices as an option to support MLFF is a good initiative, consideration must be given to those whose existing devices continue to work perfectly well and do not want to be burdened with the expense of purchasing new devices or tags.

As a result, both infrared and RFID systems may coexist, compelling technology firms like Amtel to continue to innovate and improve our products and services in order to enable this coexistence.

According to The Edge, Amtel is in talks with two other highway concessionaires about running the MLFF toll system trial project.

Meanwhile, Besraya's MLFF pilot project is set to start by the end of October. BESRAYA is stated to be testing RFID and ANPR, but no information about its technology vendor was provided.