Following the Minister of Works of our country’s announcement, five toll roads will implement an open payment system starting in September. At that time, road users could use Touch’n Go (TnG) cards to pay tolls and also credit and debit cards. Now, even public transportation will open the payment system!
The Minister of Transport of our country, Loke Siew Fook, revealed that in addition to the existing TnG cards, people would soon be able to use Credit Cards and Debit Cards to pay for public transportation (LRT, MRT), allowing users to choose payment methods other than TnG cards. He said public transport agencies and operators such as Prasarana Malaysia Bhd and KTM Bhd had been instructed to adopt an open payment system.
Loke Siew Fook revealed that the transportation department often receives complaints from the public, saying there are limited payment options when taking public transportation. For example, TnG cards or tokens can only be used to pay at the LRT entrance, but this will soon change. Loke Siew Fook also said that when some foreign tourists travel to Malaysia, they need help understanding the local bus payment system and what TnG is. Still, it is relatively convenient to pay with a Visa or Master card, which also implements open payment—one of the reasons for the system.
Loke Siew Fook emphasized that it will take some time to implement more payment methods because operators need time to integrate the system, so Loke Siew Fook did not mention when the relevant measures will be implemented. Asked if the highway tolls will also be open for payment, “On this payment issue, I can only speak on behalf of the public transport sector. It depends on whether the Malaysian Highways Authority (LLM) adopts an open payment system”.
