PROLINTAS Ramps Up Effort To Nab Errant Toll Offenders

Every now and then we are served with news and social posts where people express anger towards a certain bunch of road users who blatantly disregard rules and refuse to pay tolls. They employ numerous tactics including tailing the front vehicle closely to escape toll payment. 

This, other than annoying law abiding road users, has resulted in massive losses to toll concession holders. On 20th July 2017, the Shah Alam High Court allowed PLUS to claim RM518,369.27 and RM100,000 from Berjasa Logistics Sdn Bhd for the failure of their drivers to pay toll fares accordingly.  

Fast forward to 2022, Prolintas a couple of days back took to its Twitter announcing that any vehicles found committing toll evasion offences would be detained. They added that more regular operations would be set to apprehend any irresponsible highway users. 

The post further highlighted that several vehicles were detained during an operation at the Dato Keramat toll plaza of the Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH). This included a Proton X50 with unpaid toll arrears of RM57.50. The driver of the vehicle however paid the owed amount on the spot.

PROLINTAS Tweet announcement

All offences with regards to toll payments for now are charged under Section 8 of the Federal Roads (Private Management) Act 1984. The penalty would be a fine of between RM2,000 and RM5,000 upon conviction. This however is a non criminal offence hence requires a toll concessionaire to take civil suit action against offenders which is only justifiable if the claim is of a substantial amount.

In view of the upcoming Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) gantry system which is to be implemented in 2025, these current ancient laws have to be relooked. In an interview with FMT, Works Minister Fadillah Yusof said that the Work Ministry is in the midst of proposing a new criminal law against toll evaders in view of the MLFF’s implementation coming soon. 

He goes on to add, “This is to avoid leakages as we are looking into the provision of the law that includes a penal code and whether toll evasion can be considered a criminal offence since there is no lane barrier under MLFF.”

However, drafting, tabling and implementing the new law would take time as it involves multiple parties from highway concessionaires right up to Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ). Furthermore, alot of inter-department system linkage has to also be implemented including rolling out the RFID system right up to the Automated Number Plate Registry (ANPR) system deployment which will enable cameras to capture offending vehicles similar to the AES system.