Highway concessionaire Ekovest is collaborating with technology partner Amtel Holdings to run its pilot test of its multi-lane rapid flow (MLFF) system on its highway, according to The edge.
Ekovest has been conducting proof of concept (POC) for its MLFF system with Amtel since late 2022 as part of its initiative to reduce congestion and accidents on its roads, Ekovest managing director Tan Sri Lim Keng Cheng said.
The private proof-of-concept sees its highway, the Duta-Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE) and Amtel aims to show the compatibility of On-Board Unit (OBU) systems with future MLFF technology, which relies on cameras to recognize license plates. of vehicles, Lim said. In practice, the potential integration of the two technologies is “not too dissimilar” to the electronic highway pricing (ERP) system used in Singapore, Lim added.
“The private POC is currently running smoothly and DUKE intends to share its findings with the Ministry of Public Works (KKR) and the Highways Authority of Malaysia (LLM) for deliberation with technology provider MLFF,” Lim said. . The edge.
DUKE is the second highway to participate in POC testing for the MLFF system, Lim said; the first is Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya), owned by IJM, according to the report.
Amtel is still working to fine-tune the effectiveness of the MLFF system, chief executive Chester Koid Siang Loong said. “MLFF is a huge game changer for Malaysian road users. Once both Ekovest and Amtel are satisfied with the results of the MLFF pilot, we will submit it to KKR for consideration,” Koid said.
Two key components are involved in MLFF implementation, Koid said; these are the camera-based Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system and a battery-powered tag-based system for toll fee deduction, Koid explained.
“I think using a battery-powered device like an OBU, commonly known as an In-Vehicle Unit (UI) in Singapore, would ensure better results compared to a sticker. As we move towards MLFF, introducing RFID or other alternative devices as an option to support MLFF is a good initiative, but we must not forget about road users whose existing devices still work perfectly fine and [don’t want to] charged with the purchase of new devices or tags,” he said.
Both Infrared – as smart tag – and RFID-based the systems can coexist, and ultimately, Koid urges technology companies to continue to innovate and improve their products and services, according to the report.
In March this year, the Ministry of Public Works announced that five highways in Malaysia will start operating a open payment system for toll collection for this month of Septemberand this announcement was quickly followed by a statement that the government will conduct a proof of concept for MLFF before the end of October 2023 to test the system.
