Shell has been in Malaysia for over 110 years, initially starting with exploration operations and then moving downstream to establish a nationwide network of retail outlets selling fuel and other products.
One of the brand’s oldest stations is in Penang and has existed since the 1920s, serving many generations of motorists on the island. With ambitions to preserve Penang’s living heritage whilst maintaining an important connection to the past, Shell has carried out restoration of the station and unveiled the new look recently.
The station has served the community through thick and thin, as exemplified by the station surviving World War II and witnessing Malaysia’s independence Situated along Penang Road in the Buffer Zone of the Penang Heritage zone, an area popular with tourists for its rich historical context, Shell Penang Road will be listed under the Penang Heritage directory, reflecting its significance as an important cultural landmark. Shell is collaborating with Penang Global Tourism to elevate Shell Penang Road as a tourist landmark.
“Shell Penang Road has been a part of Penang’s colourful history and heritage for 100 years, and I am pleased that Shell continues to preserve the heritage of this station while innovating to cater to all of its customers’ needs. I hope that this latest addition to the Penang Heritage zone will encourage Malaysians to visit Penang and support local tourism and businesses,” said Yeoh Soon Hin, Penang State Executive Councillor.
While the station’s new look retains elements of colonial architecture, it also embraces modernity within. The convenience store offers modern comforts for motorists and provides food, snacks and other services.
“As we evolve to meet our customers’ dynamic demands and needs, it is important to remember our roots and hold on to our core values. Shell Penang Road stands as a testament to Penang and Shell’s history in Malaysia, reflecting how far we have come together. This station truly reflects Shell’s commitment to continue providing the best for the communities that we operate in,” said Seow Lee Ming, General Manager, Mobility Malaysia and Singapore.
To commemorate the launch, Shell is offering BonusLink members a limited-edition Shell Heritage Jute Bag, which features Penang’s cultural elements. Exclusively available at Shell Penang Road, the Shell Heritage Jute Bag is redeemable with 1,200 BonusLink points. Customers who sign up to be a BonusLink member at Shell Penang Road will be able to purchase the bag for RM15 (while stocks last).
The government believes that motorists using highways should have a choice of payments, rather than be forced to use only RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification). This was decided after a Cabinet meeting yesterday and was announced by the Prime Minister who was responding to the congestion that was caused when PLUS, the major toll concessionaire in Malaysia, introduced RFID for Electronic Toll Payment (ETP) on the entire length of its North-South Expressway from last Saturday.
Various factors appear to have contributed to the massive congestion, from the reduced number of lanes for other ETP methods (ie the Touch ‘n Go card being tapped on a reader and the contactless SmartTAG with the TnG card) to failure of the RFID sensors to detect the tags on the vehicles, as well as confusion due to some (or all) SmartTAG lanes being converted to RFID lanes. Improper placement of the RFID tags, which are very tiny devices, has also been identified as a possible cause for non-detection and it is possible some of the tags, priced at RM35 (although it is known that they cost less than RM1) each, may be defective.
The two locations for sticking the RFID tags/ They are on the outside surface so they will be exposed and motorists are concerned about durability in the long-term. Care has also to be taken at automatic carwashes where the brushes could damage or even rub off the RFID tag. A replacement costs RM35 at this time.Non-detection of the RFID tag is among the reasons that have caused the massive congestion at toll plazas and PLUS has stationed personnel with handheld devices to check on the device function.
“The Cabinet, in its meeting today, is of the view that road-users must be given a choice, just like how it was practiced when Touch ‘n Go was introduced in its early years and cash payments were still allowed to continue. Users must be given the freedom whether to use RFID, Touch ‘n Go or SmartTAG,” said the Prime Minister.
He said that the toll concessionaires should not make all lanes use only the RFID method. “If there are 10 lanes, maybe several lanes for RFID and the rest should be for TnG and SmartTAG. We don’t want to pressure motorists,” he said, adding that any matter regarding toll payments by Malaysians will need to be referred to the Cabinet.
Like the SmartTAG, the RFID method also allows contactless ETP but uses the radio frequency for its signal instead of infrared (IR) that is used by the SmartTAG (which requires a TnG card to be present in the unit). PLUS claims that RFID offers quicker processing (but the vehicle must not travel faster than 30 km/h through the lane) without the vehicle having to stop for detection. However, the IR system does not require motorists to stop either, as millions of motorists will know. In places like Germany which use the IR system, vehicles can pass under the sensors (no toll plazas needed) at up to 100 km/h because they do not have to stop for the barrier to open.
Toll collection in Germany using the infra-red system similar to that used for the SmartTAG in Malaysia.
“In Germany, the Nationwide Truck Tolling System installed on all highways in a Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) configuration has proven to be highly effective, catering to more than two million trucks travelling at up to 100 km/h. It uses a similar IR technology like in Malaysia to validate payment. We have also successfully replicated this test in Malaysia. Our SmartTAG compatible units comply with DSRC (Dedicated Short-Range Communication) standards and are ECE R10 certified. They operate in the 400THz band and are therefore able to transfer data 10,000 times faster than RFID. Being battery-powered, every unit is active with a wake-up time of just two milliseconds compared to the passive RFID’s 45 milliseconds,” said EFKON Asia, the Austrian technology provider that developed the IR-based toll collection system used on Malaysian highways.
According to PLUS, a SmartTAG lane can allow up to 1,000 vehicles through in an hour (550 with manual tapping). With RFID, PLUS claims that the processing rate can be faster and they state a speed of about 1,200 vehicles an hour. But that claimed quicker rate of processing is nullified since in both methods, vehicles still have to wait for the barrier to rise. Unless there is some innovation that can make the barrier rise faster in the RFID lane than in the SmartTAG lane, the pass-through rate will be the same.
No toll plazas on Singapore roads to cause congestion; motorists pay toll electronically when they enter the Central Business District where there are varying charges throughout the day.
Why does there need to be a barrier when, in other countries, they have already done away with the barrier? In Singapore, for example, their toll collection for the road pricing system (ERP) around the Central Business District is done without barriers and vehicles just drive under gantries and their payment is electronically collected. While the system used is a different type (wireless shortwave), the point is that they do not need barriers which slow down traffic flow. According to PLUS, they still need to have a barrier as there is no legal framework yet to protect their interests.
PLUS is promoting RFID as the first step towards the Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system in future which will have no barriers and therefore eliminate congestion in places where toll has to be collected. However, there is no clear evidence that continued use of the SmartTAG method cannot also achieve MLFF. RFID requires further new investments – not to mention motorists having to spend again to install a new ETP system – whereas the IR system is already in place and runs reasonably reliably.
The toll plaza along the Federal Highway near Subang Jaya which was set up in the 1990s and removed just before the last General Election. Although its removal should have speeded up traffic flow, the situation today seems to be even more congested as traffic builds up more quickly at the bottleneck further down the road (near the Subang Jaya turnoff).
But whether removal of a barrier and even the whole toll plaza will allow traffic to flow more smoothly and remove congestion is uncertain if you look at one example where it has happened. This is the toll plaza near Subang Jaya in Selangor which was set up in the 1990s and then removed some years ago, just before a General Election. It seems that even with no toll collection being done, there is still congestion on that stretch so it is no different from before. In fact, some feel that when there was a toll plaza, at least the traffic flow was regulated and was slightly better on the other side of the toll plaza.
In a consumer society, choices and freedom of choices are important elements. Consumers will choose what they believe to be the best for their needs and in the case of ETP, there will be some who may even prefer cash payment. These could be people living in rural areas who travel on highways infrequently and who do not want their money stuck in some e-wallet, or spend money buying a SmartTAG that they will use only once a month. Many may like the TnG card since it can not only be used for ETP but also for parking and even travel on public transport. The RFID system may have a few advantages but for now, it seems that all it can be used for is ETP, which makes it poor value for money.
The future of the auto industry is electric and Proton does not intend to be left behind. Soon, electric vehicles may appear in Proton showrooms although they may not be Proton products. The Malaysian carmaker has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with China’s smart Automobile Company (smart) which is a joint-venture company between Mercedes-Benz AG and Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the parent company of Proton.
The agreement will see Proton collaborating via Proton Edar with smart to introduce the latter’s range of New Energy Vehicles (NEV) into the ASEAN automotive market. For a start, Proton Edar will be appointed as the importer, distributor and dealer for smart in Malaysia and Thailand. smart Automobile (Nanning) Sales Co. Ltd. (a fully owned subsidiary of smart Automobile), will fulfil the role of a gateway for smart to the region.
NEVs are battery electric vehicles (BEVs) which are a new generation of vehicles that will be designed by the Mercedes-Benz Design network and developed by the Geely global engineering network. Production is in China for global markets. As part of the vehicle-development program, the smart product portfolio will be extended into the fast-growing B-segment that are in line with smart’s brand positioning with a focus on pure premium electric and connected vehicles.
“With the signing of the MoA, Proton is taking its first steps on its New Energy Vehicle strategic journey. By collaborating with smart, we will be able to gain experience in the selling, servicing, and charging of NEVs and build up the skill sets we require to be a force in ASEAN’s rapidly expanding NEV sector. This is also an opportunity to tap on smart’s customer base, which will open up more opportunities for the Proton brand,” said Dato’ Sri Syed Faisal Albar, Chairman of Proton.
Marketing in Malaysia and Thailand
The MoA with Proton Edar is for the company to establish a multi-level sales and service network in Malaysia and Thailand, as well as a brand experience centre and a number of sales locations, providing the two markets with sales and aftersales services for smart vehicles.
From the description of the MoA, it does not appear that there is any technical collaboration such as transfer of technology or product development and the statement also stresses that ‘currently, there are no plans to collaborate beyond the tenets of the agreement’. This would mean that smart vehicles will be imported and distributed by Proton Edar as an additional business activity, and the vehicles will also not use the Proton brand.
However, as mentioned by the Proton Chairman, it will be an opportunity for the carmaker to gain experience and knowledge about electrification and BEVs which it would also have to offer at some point in the future. Whether the relationship with smart evolves into something broader (eg joint product development) remains to be seen.
The Proton EMAS city car concept by Giugiaro in 2010 was proposed with a hybrid electric powertrain.
Electrically-powered cars are not unknown at Proton. In the 1990s, the first known project was initiated with a company in California to develop electric Wiras, but it never went far. Then, eleven years ago, the company’s EMAS prototype city car proposed by Giugiaro had a hybrid electric powertrain. It has also done R&D on electric powertrains over the past 10 years but has not brought a model to the market.
Proton Saga EV prototype displayed in 2012.
History of smart brand
As for smart, the name may be familiar to some Malaysians as the original smart cars were sold in the mid-2000s, imported by DaimlerChrysler Malaysia (now Mercedes-Benz Malaysia). The smart company (which was founded by the man who created the Swatch watches) had been acquired by Mercedes-Benz which invested heavily to make city cars. However, it may have been a bit ahead of its time and though having a clever design (the vehicles used combustion engines), the relatively high prices and compact size were not so appealing globally. Perhaps the Japanese would have appreciated it but they already had their own kei cars.
Mercedes-Benz tried to make the smart business work and even tried to offer a larger model called the smart forfour that sat on a Mitsubishi Colt platform. That too didn’t sell too well and smart as a company was closed down, with the products being placed under the Mercedes-Benz division up to 2019. To try to keep the brand going, Mercedes-Benz formed a partnership with Geely which would see smart-branded vehicles – using electric powertrains – being developed and produced in China for sale globally.
The original smart cars were sold in Malaysia in the mid-2000s by DaimlerChrysler Malaysia (now Mercedes-Benz Malaysia).
“The smart brand has a unique value and global influence, it has grown to be a leader in urban mobility. Geely Holding will fully support the smart brand with its full advantages in R&D, manufacturing, supply chain and other fields into the joint venture and support its development in China and globally. We will work together with Mercedes-Benz to transform the smart brand into a leading player in urban premium, electric and connected vehicles to successfully develop the brand’s global potential,” said Li Shufu, Geely Holding Chairman.
On the night of Saturday, January 15, 2022, officials of PLUS gathered to await the first vehicles that would pass through the toll plaza using the RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification) method of electronic toll payment (ETP). The ETP ‘system of the future’ had started its pilot run in 2018 and was already in use in certain places in Peninsular Malaysia. It would now be available to motorists travelling on the entire length of the North-South Expressway from Juru in the north to Skudai in Johor.
PLUS was promoting RFID as the successor to the SmartTAG, the infrared (IR)-based contactless method that had been in use for a long time in conjunction with the Touch ‘n Go stored value tollcard. Although the SmartTAG’s IR system has been used longer, it is not necessarily obsolete and in places like Germany, it can handle pass-through speeds of up to 100 km/h (without a barrier being present, of course). However, in spite of the long and big investment in the TnG/SmartTAG systems that have matured and are generally reliable, PLUS has made a decision to again invest in changing to RFID which it says is faster and more efficient, thereby benefitting motorists and reducing congestion.
PLUS also says that adoption of RFID will allow it to move towards, first, a Single Lane Free Flow system and ultimately, a Multi Lane Free Flow (MLFF) system without barriers. MLFF is what Malaysian motorists experience when they drive in Singapore and pass under the ERP (Electronic Road Pricing) gantries where a charge is automatically deducted. It has been in use for a long time although PLUS says that it is not fair to make comparisons as it is not ‘apples compared with apples’.
Prior to January 15, PLUS had announced that RFID would be activated at all its toll plazas from the date and would eventually replace the previous systems. It did not actually say that those existing systems would be stopped on that date but some people misread the announcement and started to spread word through social media that the TnG/SmartTAG system would stop on January 15. This naturally caused an uproar as there are some 5 million SmartTAG devices in use (with 84 million TnG cards sold to date). Apart from a reluctance to switch over by some, there was also the matter of supply and installation.
PLUS had to quickly clarify that the existing systems would still be available and that RFID would be a new and recommended alternative form of ETP at its toll plazas. In other words, there was no need to worry that come January 15, many motorists would be unable to get through the toll plazas if they did not have RFID. Meanwhile, PLUS had to slot in RFID lanes and since the toll plazas are pretty much fixed in width, certain lanes would have to be converted. Perhaps it could have done like in some places where a secondary row is built beyond the original plaza but that would have required additional investment which might not have been acceptable in this early phase of RFID. In any case, they went ahead to convert some lanes, and in some places, SmartTAG lanes were eliminated, leaving only the slower manual system of tapping the card on the reader (about half the pass-through rate compared to RFID).
As the activation of RFID occurred on a Saturday night and the next day was Sunday, which has generally lower traffic volumes on the highways, it seemed that the new system was working fine. Motorists with RFID tags were able to drive through (maximum speed: 30 km/h) and in the same way as with the SmartTAG, the charge would be deducted electronically and the barrier would swing up to allow them to proceed on their way. Even if RFID is claimed to have a faster response time, with that mechanical barrier, it’s hard to see how driving through in the RFID lane could be any faster than the SmartTAG lane.
Then came Monday morning and things looked horribly different. Though we all don’t want the MCO again, motorists caught in the unusually long queues – one said to stretch 10 kms – towards toll plazas must have wished for WFH (work from home) again. Apart from the confusion of lanes having been converted, the absence of SmartTAG lanes in some places would also have frustrated motorists used to having relatively smooth passage through the toll plaza without stopping (albeit in a queue). Now, all those without RFID had to stop and tap manually or if there were some SmartTAG lanes, the queue was longer since some had been taken away for RFID.
Not surprisingly, news of the mess appeared on social media very quickly. To make things worse was the failure of the sensors to detect the RFID tags on some vehicles. This meant that they were stuck in the narrow lane, unable to reverse and let others go ahead. With SmartTAG, if there was a problem of non-detection and reversing was not possible, the driver still has the option of taking the card out and tapping on the reader at the side. 100% of the time, this will bring the barrier up unless the balance is too low.
With social media, particularly Facebook, such happenings become known nationally within a very short time. The PLUS Facebook page was bombarded with complaints and criticisms and individuals also posted pictures of cars being stuck in long jams. Hopefully, employers were understanding enough to accept the explanation for lateness being blamed on PLUS.
Throughout the day and night and up till today, PLUS seemed silent on the matter. In fact, it seemed like the company was indifferent to the matter, which caused more anger, as it spread the ‘positive news’ about the implementation of RFID, and Touch ‘n Go Malaysia even congratulated PLUS on the event. However, Works Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof did not do the same thing; instead, having become aware of the situation, he directed PLUS to resolve the issues quickly, softening the stern statement by saying that RFID technology is ‘a pioneering technology and there will be several issues that need to be addressed’.
The thing is, RFID as a concept has been around since World War II and since the beginning of this century, the tiny tag (which costs less than RM1 but is sold for RM35) has been used in many different kinds of industries which need a tracking solution, including the transport industry. It could even be considered a mature technology, like the IR technology used for the SmartTAG and whatever local issues there were should have been addressed during the past 3 years that it has been in actual use.
Perhaps in all the trials, the traffic volume was small, so the environment was different from a full-scale deployment. The system might not have been ‘stress-tested’ for continuous rush-hour traffic passing through every second so it may not have been ‘tuned’ to cope. But that’s just speculation on our part, we must add.
Prior to January 15, during a session with the media, PLUS gave assurance that they would be ready for any ‘hiccups’ during implementation and there would be staff on standby to assist if detection failed. While this would be expected for any new system, it is evident from the long queue that there must have been a high failure rate that even that stand-by procedure could not prevent.
There are many reports of owners puzzled and frustrated by their RFID tag not being detected. Unlike the SmartTAG which many hold in their hand and can sometimes be at the wrong angle so the IR beam does not hit the sensor, the RFID tag is in a fixed position – on the top corner of the windscreen or on the headlight. It is stuck on the outside, so it is exposed to the sun and rain and dust. Hopefully, the quality is of the same standard as what carmakers have for their exterior parts as Malaysian motorists are fed up with the lousy quality of roadtax discs that don’t seem to stick properly (and they are on the inside of the glass).
In theory, the RFID tag (if it is working properly) should not fail although the vehicle must not be travelling faster than 30 km/h. It would be hard to go fast anyway with the barrier right in front. PLUS engineers would have done all the testing to determine optimum distances for the sensors and particularly ensuring that there would be no ‘collision’ of signals.
Correct placement of the RFID tag is important.
One thing that might cause the problems is improper placement and from what we have learnt, close proximity to metal surfaces (like the A-pillar) could cause interference and it is possible that some headlight designs might also cause problems. But if the installation was done by authorized professionals, then the placement should have been correct and initially, there were also machines to verify that the tag was working properly.
However, to make things easier, the RFID tags have also been available for sale to the public so they can install it themselves. It’s not really that difficult (like sticking on the roadtax disc) so many may have chosen that option and done it themselves. Some may not have done it properly, hence the problems. So it is best to go to an installation centre and have a professional do it. If it doesn’t work, you can go back and demand rectification or replacement. Otherwise, you have to come out with another RM35 for a new one.
Besides going to the Fitment Centres, motorists can also purchase the RFID tag online and attach it to the headlight or windscreen themselves. The price is the same as at the Fitment Centre but you probably have to pay a delivery charge.
PLUS is well aware of the detection issues and in its announcement today, it said that the personnel will use a handheld device to scan the RFID tag. Should the tag still remain undetectable, a coupon for a full detection diagnosis at a Touch ‘n Go fitment centre will be provided. If the RFID tag still has detection issues after testing, Touch ‘n Go will replace the RFID tag for free. If it is a placement issue, guess you have to spend another RM35 for a new one as the tag is not designed to be removed after being installed.
The fact that the RFID tag, unlike a TnG card, is tied to a specific vehicle has not been well accepted. In our case (which is really a very small group), we test different vehicles regularly. A few companies are kind enough to provide a TnG card to use but most of the time, we just use our own. With a RFID tag, how will we settle the toll charge as the account linked to it is not in our control? It’s an issue we have not figured out yet.
Rental car companies would also be unhappy as they will need to find a way to settle toll charges with the customer as each vehicle they rent has a specific tag. Will they ask the customer to pay a deposit? Or should the customer pay RM35 and buy their own RFID TAG and fix it, which may be troublesome for a tourist who does not have a bank account in Malaysia.
Although the Touch’nGo card was initially only for toll payment, its usage has grown and can today be used to pay for other services such as parking and public transport. Will RFID offer such flexible usage?
The inflexibility of the RFID tag also makes it less appealing to motorists. Over the past 10 years, TnG has been promoted as not only being for toll payment but for an increasing number of services. Malaysians have come to accept it as a convenient form of cashless payment for travelling on public transport and parking. It can be considered a successful implementation of a new payment process and it has a lot of flexibility. For example, you can pass a card to another family member to use. With the RFID tag, it seems that its only use is for ETP and for specific vehicles, unless one day, they say that if you agree to stick it on your face, you can also use it for travel on public transport.
In just two days, PLUS has caused a great deal of anger to those who use its highways but the company seems indifferent to this fact, as can be seen from its statement today. There is not a word of apology for the inconvenience caused but rather a suggestion that the introduction has gone well and they have seen 10% greater usage of RFID.
To make matters worse, our friends at Pandulaju discovered that the company had stopped allowing the public to post comments on its Facebook page. Although the decision was apparently reversed later and comments can be posted, it further angered the public who felt that the company was not willing to face criticism.
Instead, PLUS suggested that the public give them feedback using their own channel on their website and app which is called P.U.T.R.I. and uses a chatbot. This takes all the negative remarks away from the public eye, of course. The chatbot is not really a good thing to use as it is programmed to respond in specific ways, while attempting to give the ‘feel’ of interacting with a human. If you tell ‘her’ that you are unhappy with the RFID system, you will find that the responses will make you tear your hair out. But PUTRI is humble and promises to ‘be smarter’, but just cannot offer help in taking the complaint. [Click here to view an example of interaction with PUTRI]
So what’s going to happen in the coming days? Today being a holiday, traffic has been less but tomorrow, it is likely that many will decide not to risk using the RFID lane and choose the TnG or SmartTAG lanes. As there are now less lanes than before, the jams will be worse than before. The RFID lanes will seem to be the faster route so the ‘optics’ will be good for PLUS which can say ‘those were just teething problems and now you can see that cars pass through fast enough that there are no jams’.
If PLUS has full confidence in the RFID system being superior and has high detection rate, then remove the barriers and let vehicles pass through smoothly, like in Singapore. It will definitely encourage many motorists to switch over.
Admittedly, this article has been critical and we are often told that solutions should also be offered when complaining that something is wrong or not working. So here’s our suggestion: if PLUS is confident with the RFID system, then remove the barrier and allow vehicles to pass through and use the system as it was intended. If detection fails, then it is not the fault of the motorist and PLUS will just have to accept the loss of the toll charge. If nothing else, this would certainly inspire the tech side or the supplier of the system to ensure 99.9% detection since non-detection of too many vehicles would lose a lot of money for the company.
Vaccination does not make you immune to COVID-19 infection. You can still get infected and although you may not show symptoms, you could spread the coronavirus to others. Do not stop taking protective measures such as wearing a facemask, washing hands frequently and social distancing.
