PLUS Unveils Five-Year Roadmap To Build Smart, Sustainable Highway Network

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- PLUS Malaysia Bhd has unveiled a five-year Strategic Roadmap to transform the nation’s primary highway network into a smart, technology-integrated and climate-resilient infrastructure, strengthening its role as a key enabler of Malaysia’s modern digital economy.

The roadmap aims to embed artificial intelligence (AI), big data and sustainable engineering across the entire expressway ecosystem to enhance logistics efficiency, support emerging industries and improve long-term regional mobility.

PLUS Chief Strategy and Sustainability Officer Satpal Singh said the initiative is built around five strategic pillars - AI-enabled operations and maintenance, a technology-infused customer journey, green and circular development, community-centred planning and collective action with industry and government partners.

“This transformation goes beyond traditional highway management. We are building an intelligent infrastructure system that will accelerate economic growth, improve supply chain resilience and create a smarter mobility corridor for the nation,” he said in an exclusive interview on Bernama TV’s The Nation today.

A major component of the roadmap is AI-driven maintenance and safety systems, such as drones that have reduced inspection time by 98 per cent, AI-mounted cameras to detect potholes and debris, and ASEAN’s largest traffic monitoring centre that integrates 2,900 CCTVs with real-time analytics.

Satpal also highlighted PLUS’ AI-powered suicide alert system on the Penang Bridge, which has successfully prevented 44 suicide attempts since its rollout in 2023.

He added that PLUS had completed Malaysia’s first end-to-end climate risk assessment, presented at the United Nations, enabling the company to identify flood- and landslide-prone hotspots, strengthen infrastructure and assist communities living along the highway.

To support Malaysia’s shift towards clean mobility, Satpal said PLUS has installed 114 electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging stations along the North-South Expressway and targets 350 chargers by 2028, including the nation’s first EV hyperstation.

He stressed that PLUS’ community development work remains central to the roadmap, with 90 per cent of rest-stop stall operators sourced from nearby areas, over 500 SMEs supported across its network and 2,500 volunteers mobilised annually nationwide.

On user concerns, he assured that toll costs will be maintained.

“We are leveraging efficiency and innovation to ensure the cost of using the PLUS Highway can be maintained while improving the overall customer experience,” he said, adding that the PLUS App now features an AI chatbot and a machine-learning-powered travel time advisory.

-- BERNAMA