PLUS leverages AI to transform highway operations

KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Bhd is advancing its smart highway transformation by using artificial intelligence (AI), predictive analytics and connected technologies to improve road safety, operational efficiency and the travel experience.

Its managing director Datuk Nik Airina Nik Jaffar said PLUS is at Level 3 of its smart highway development, characterised by connected and predictive operations.

Its longer-term ambition is to achieve Level 4, where highways become cognitive and autonomous.

She said the transformation aimed to enable highways to sense, analyse, predict and respond to changing conditions more effectively.

"Through the integration of AI, predictive analytics and digital technologies, we are moving beyond conventional highway operations towards a more intelligent, connected and predictive ecosystem," she said at the 13th Malaysian Road Conference and Exhibition (MRC 2026) here today.

PLUS operates 1,121km of highways across six concessions, serving approximately two million travellers daily.

AI, machine learning and computer vision are being deployed to support highway operations and infrastructure management, including defect detection and improved maintenance planning.

Vehicle-mounted cameras and laser technologies allow infrastructure inspections to be carried out at traffic speed. Drones also reduce the need for personnel to enter potentially hazardous environments.

To improve road safety, PLUS has implemented a suicide detection system at six hotspot locations on the Penang Bridge.

As of October, the system had detected 55 cases and helped save 40 lives, representing a reported survival rate of 73 per cent.

Meanwhile, the PLUSRonda Intelligent Management System uses real-time data to improve incident response and resource deployment. This enables highway personnel to respond more effectively to emergencies.

Digital customer service is also being enhanced through Putri, PLUS' virtual assistant.

Between January and August 2026, Putri handled 185,811 conversations, saving 15,484 hours that could be redirected towards emergency response.

The introduction of Putri Voice Bot contributed to a 26 per cent increase in completed conversations in August, reflecting growing use of automated customer engagement.

PLUS is also working towards more seamless toll payments through JustGO, an automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)-based system that allows registered motorists to use any toll lane without physical cards or in-vehicle devices.

Under the #LaneFreedom initiative, payments are processed through vehicle number plate recognition. The technology also supports future multi-lane free flow (MLFF) tolling capabilities.

Looking ahead, Nik Airina said PLUS aimed to integrate traffic monitoring, incident detection, weather sensors, asset management and digital customer services into a more comprehensive smart highway ecosystem.

This could enable features such as congestion prediction, smart lane activation, variable speed limits and predictive maintenance.

She said achieving this longer-term vision would require closer collaboration among highway operators, regulators, government agencies and technology partners.