Malaysia Studies South Korea for Barrier-Free MLFF Tolls

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi announced on 21 October 2026 that Malaysia is examining South Korea's Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) tolling system following a technical visit to the Gangneung Interchange on the Donghae Expressway. The initiative benchmarks South Korea's barrier-free operations to guide the transition towards non-stop electronic toll payments across Malaysian highways.

The Ministry of Works conducted the technical mission alongside agencies and industry participants, receiving briefings from the Korea Expressway Corporation (KEC) on vehicle registration number plate recognition, electronic payment integration, and barrier-free traffic management. This evaluation supports ongoing local pilot projects conducted by highway concessionaires and payment technology providers testing barrier-free toll infrastructure.

Key Facts

South Korea's Korea Expressway Corporation has operated and refined its barrier-free smart tolling system continuously since 2010.

How Is Malaysia Benchmarking South Korea's MLFF Toll System?

Malaysia is studying South Korea's operational Multi-Lane Free Flow framework to assess gantry configurations, automated vehicle number plate recognition, electronic toll collection integrations, and real-time highway traffic monitoring. Insights gathered by the Ministry of Works from the Korea Expressway Corporation will help authorities establish technical standards suitable for Malaysia's domestic expressway industry structure.

During the delegation's site visit to the Gangneung Interchange on the Donghae Expressway, KEC officials presented the evolution of South Korea's barrier-free toll network, which has undergone iterative refinements since its launch in 2010. Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi explained that deploying MLFF in Malaysia extends beyond removing physical boom gates, requiring strict attention to technical accuracy, data security, interoperability among different concessionaires, and end-user payment convenience.

“However, MLFF is not just about removing toll barriers. Technological precision, integration between concessionaires, data security, and consumer payment convenience must be given attention,”

— Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Works Minister

Malaysia's evaluation of South Korea's toll network focuses on multi-concessionaire integration, data protection, and automated number plate recognition accuracy.

What Are the Results of Malaysia's Local MLFF Pilot Projects?

Malaysian expressway operators have recorded high vehicle volumes and strong detection accuracy in active barrier-free proof-of-concept trials. PLUS Malaysia Berhad and PNB Prolintas have deployed automated number plate recognition and RFID systems across northern and Klang Valley expressway corridors to evaluate system stability and motorist adoption ahead of national gantry-free implementation.

PLUS Malaysia Berhad launched its automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) pilot via the JustGO mobile application along the Hutan Kampung–Sungai Dua alignment in January. As of 20 October 2026, the JustGO platform registered over 90,000 active users and logged 3.27 million vehicles across 93 toll plazas comprising 966 lanes. Concurrently, PNB Prolintas has evaluated an ANPR and RFID trial with Touch ’n Go and CIMB on the Lebuhraya Kemuning–Shah Alam (LKSA) since November 2024.

According to Nanta, the Touch ’n Go pilot on LKSA recorded more than 11.3 million vehicles across multiple classes while achieving an overall detection accuracy rate of 99.98 per cent. These operational benchmarks supply the technological foundation required to transition Malaysian expressways towards open, barrier-free toll lanes.

The Touch ’n Go ANPR and RFID pilot on the LKSA expressway achieved an official detection rate of 99.98 per cent across more than 11.3 million vehicles.

How Does Tunnel Safety Factor Into Future Highway Infrastructure?

Highway safety benchmarking in South Korea encompasses subterranean infrastructure monitoring alongside toll gantries. During the technical mission, the Malaysian delegation surveyed the Inje–Yangyang Tunnel—South Korea's longest road tunnel measuring nearly 11 kilometres—to study smart emergency preparedness, automated incident detection mechanisms, dedicated emergency response corridors, fire suppression equipment, and closed-circuit television surveillance protocols.

The assessment highlighted how smart monitoring systems immediately flag stationary hazards, collisions, and dangerous vehicular movements within long subterranean sections. Minister Nanta affirmed that evaluating international implementations guarantees that Malaysia adopts resilient infrastructure solutions matched to domestic consumer requirements rather than adopting novelty features.

“The ultimate goal is not the most sophisticated technology in name, but a system that truly works and benefits the people,”

— Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi, Works Minister

South Korea's Inje–Yangyang Tunnel spans nearly 11 kilometres and utilises closed-circuit television alongside automated incident detection algorithms to identify vehicular collisions and stopped traffic.

Who Is This For in Malaysia?

This barrier-free tolling transition directly affects Malaysian highway motorists, daily commuters, and commercial fleet operators currently using plaza lanes across concession networks such as PLUS and PNB Prolintas. Drivers navigating trials along the Hutan Kampung–Sungai Dua corridor or the Lebuhraya Kemuning–Shah Alam (LKSA) encounter early ANPR and RFID implementations intended to eliminate lane queuing.

The findings from South Korea will govern future billing interoperability across domestic highway concessionaires, ensuring that private vehicle owners and transport businesses experience seamless highway transit without maintaining disparate toll payment devices or encountering inconsistent lane clearances.

Malaysian highway users on the PLUS and Prolintas networks will transition from physical plaza toll barriers to non-stop electronic detection systems.

Common Questions

What is the detection accuracy rate achieved in Malaysia's LKSA toll pilot?

The Touch ’n Go pilot on the Lebuhraya Kemuning–Shah Alam (LKSA), conducted in partnership with PNB Prolintas and CIMB using combined ANPR and RFID technology, recorded a 99.98 per cent detection rate across more than 11.3 million vehicles.

How many motorists currently use the PLUS JustGO ANPR toll system?

As of 20 October 2026, the PLUS JustGO application recorded more than 90,000 active users, capturing 3.27 million vehicles across 93 toll plazas and 966 lanes along the Hutan Kampung–Sungai Dua corridor since launching in January.

When will Malaysia fully remove physical toll booth barriers nationwide?

A nationwide completion date has not been announced. Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi stated that operational trials and international benchmarking are actively evaluating concessionaire integration, technological precision, data security, and payment convenience before full MLFF implementation.

Sources and Methodology

This report details technical road infrastructure assessments and pilot statistics published by Careta regarding the Ministry of Works technical delegation to South Korea and ongoing domestic toll trials.

Original report: Careta

Information translated from original reporting in Malay. This article is based on the source report above and was last updated on 23 October 2026.