ECONOMIC Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali hopes PLUS Malaysia Bhd will reconsider ceasing Touch n’ Go (TNG) reload services at its highways, citing inconvenience for road users.
“They should continue to provide alternatives for the convenience of road users,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
PLUS on Tuesday has removed TNG reload facilities at all of its toll plazas, aiming to reduce congestion at toll plazas.
The decision has seen the #MansuhTouchnGo hashtag trending this week as many local road users took to social media to criticise the decision.
The company said backlogs happened most often between Hutan Kampung (Alor Setar) and Ipoh Utara, and between Seremban and Skudai in the southern region.
“To date, there have been 81 cases of heavy vehicles crashing into toll booths between 2016 and 2018,” it said in a statement.
PLUS said 8% of the 253,000 daily traffic average in the northern region and 9% of 189,000 daily traffic average in the southern region had contributed to unnecessary delays due to customers experiencing insufficient balance and require emergency topping up at the exit lanes.
“On average, a reload process at the exit lane takes up to three minutes,” it said.
PLUS has advised its customers to plan their journey and ensure that their TNG cards have sufficient balance before entering the highway.
“PLUS is also engaging with Touch ‘n Go Sdn Bhd to ensure all kiosks are in good working condition at all times,” it said, adding that there are over 11,000 reload facilities throughout the country including ATMs, petrol stations, convenience stores, rest areas and shopping malls.
In a related development, Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Chong Chieng Jen on Wednesday said the additional 10% surcharge on TNG cards at parking bays will be phased out in stages.