JustGo’s ANPR system pilot on the North-South Highway shows how policy change can end toll plaza frustrations for good.
FOR years, driving on Malaysian highways has meant a familiar frustration at toll plazas.
Motorists slow down in advance, choose a lane and hope it moves quickly. Long queues, wasted time and unnecessary stress have become an accepted part of the driving experience, as though congestion is simply inevitable.
It does not have to be this way. Yet for decades, we have accepted these delays because it seemed easier to endure congestion than to question the system that creates it.
That is why the introduction of the Automated Number Plate Recognition system, now being piloted on the Hutan Kampung–Sungai Dua stretch of Plus Malaysia’s highway through the JustGo application, matters.
It is more than just a new technology. It shows that our highway frustrations are not inevitable but the result of policy choices and that with the willingness to rethink outdated systems, even long-standing problems can be solved.
You cannot fully appreciate the difference until you experience it. There are no last-minute lane changes, no guessing which lane will move faster and no unnecessary waiting. You simply drive through as the system recognises your vehicle and processes the payment seamlessly in the background.
What was once a daily headache has become far less of a concern. It may seem like a small change but its impact is significant. Journeys become smoother, more predictable and less stressful.
Over time, this also improves traffic flow, reduces congestion at toll plazas and creates a more civilised driving experience for everyone.
Just as importantly, JustGo supports multiple payment methods, including credit and debit cards, with major e-wallets to be added soon. This reflects how people actually pay today while reducing the anxiety of relying on a single payment option. Because it is app-based rather than device-based, the system is practical and accessible.
Most motorists would probably prefer using a smartphone app to carrying yet another card or in-vehicle device.
The truth is that infrastructure upgrades often seem abstract until they make a tangible difference to daily life. Lane freedom is one of those rare improvements you notice immediately. Once you experience it, you realise the real obstacle is not technology but mindset.
When we are willing to challenge long-standing practices and accept short-term disruption for long-term gains, even a persistent problem like toll plaza congestion can be overcome.
I hope this pilot project will be expanded to more highways across Malaysia. Having experienced the Hutan Kampung–Sungai Dua stretch and the Klang Valley, where the system has yet to be introduced, the contrast is striking. One reflects a willingness to embrace progress; the other remains constrained by outdated limitations.
In this respect, the Works Ministry deserves credit for creating space for innovation and making this pilot project possible.
More Malaysians deserve to benefit from this kind of forward thinking and more public institutions should have the courage to challenge long-accepted problems instead of simply managing them indefinitely.
Lawrence Matthew
Malacca
