Ismail said when the Touch ‘n Go and the SmartTag system was first introduced on highways, it was done in stages, with road users given the option to also pay cash at toll booths.

Therefore, highway concessionaires, he said, should reserve a few lanes for drivers who use RFID and allow the use of the Touch ‘n Go and the SmartTag system on all other lanes.

“We don’t want to pressure the road users. While RFID is good, road users should be given the freedom to choose,” he told reporters at an event here tonight.

Ismail went on to say that works minister Fadillah Yusof had been ordered to discuss the matter with PLUS.

Two days ago, Fadillah told Touch ‘n Go and PLUS to take immediate steps to solve problems arising from the use of the RFID payment system.

This followed the uproar from the public over massive traffic congestion at certain toll booths when RFID came into use on the North-South Expressway from the Juru toll plaza in Penang to the Skudai plaza in Johor.

There were also complaints over the cost of switching to RFID, with former prime minister Najib Razak questioning the RM35 selling price, although the stickers can be bought online for RM1 each.

PLUS has said that at least one RFID lane would be provided at each of the 83 toll plazas along the 657km route, but it will be at the expense of lanes that were previously dedicated to SmartTag and Touch ‘n Go users.