The Works Ministry is determined to have the Multi Lane Free Flow System (MLFF) on major highways from 2025. It believes that by not making vehicles slow down and almost stop – and wait for the barrier to rise – at toll plazas, the problem of congestion will be eased. Perhaps that might work although if we go by the example of the Subang toll plaza which was removed some years back, there is still congestion along that stretch of the Federal Highway.

Anyway, to have MLFF means that there will be no barrier (and no toll plaza too). The barrier has been necessary all this while because, surprisingly, there is no law which makes it an offence not to pay toll. It is treated like a ‘business matter’ and the toll concessionaire has to go after the vehicle owner who does not pay the required toll. Obviously, it will be very challenging to do so, and likely to require a lot of manpower and time tracking down toll-evaders.

For this reason, all toll plazas had had a barrier since the first tolled highway was opened along the Slim River Highway in the 1960s. It’s to protect the interests of toll concessionaires though why toll evasion was never made an offence is unknown.