Friday June 15, 2007

RM50 for Smart Tag offer

By SARBAN SINGH

SEREMBAN: The Smart TAG transponder will cost only RM50 for the next three months in conjunction with the 50th Merdeka Day celebrations.

The normal price for a unit is RM100.

The price for a Touch ‘n Go card will also be halved to RM5 during this period.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said the Government, in collaboration with the 22 toll concessionaires and Rangkaian Segar Sdn Bhd, had agreed to offer the package to encourage more motorists to go electronic.

He said 30,000 Smart TAGs and 150,000 Touch ‘n Go cards would be offered.

“However, each motorist will only be allowed to buy one set,” he said, adding that it was a good time to buy the gadget which cost RM240 when it was introduced.

Motorists will now pay RM65 for a set, which will include RM10 prepaid credit.

Samy Vellu said the campaign would be held in stages with 2,000 Smart TAGs and 10,000 Touch ‘n Go cards up for sale in June and July respectively.

In June, the items will be on sale from Mondays to Fridays at the Rawang, Sungai Buloh, Kota Damansara, Jalan Duta and Sungai Besi toll plazas.

Motorists will be able to get them at the Penang Bridge, Elite Expressway and Linkedua in Johor next month.

In August, the items will be available at all toll plazas.

Samy Vellu said that at present, only 40% of motorists passing through toll plazas use the electronic system.

At the Penang Bridge, about 60% of motorists use the facility.

He urged motorists to grab the offer as the Smart TAG lanes could process 900 transactions an hour compared with 240 at the manual lanes.

“Also, the same system would form the basis for the gantry system which we hope to introduce soon,” he told reporters after opening PLUS’ northbound R&R area on the North-South Expressway near here.

Under the gantry system, motorists need not stop to pay toll at the booths. Deductions would be made automatically from their prepaid toll cards, almost similar to the present Smart TAG system.

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