KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — About 3.28 million vehicles are expected to use major highways nationwide daily during the peak travel period for the Deepavali celebration this Sunday.
Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) director-general Ir Mohd Hadzmir Yusoff said traffic volume is expected to increase from today as motorists head towards the East Coast and the northern and southern parts of the country.
He said the PLUS highway network is projected to record 2.24 million vehicles, followed by the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) with 288,000 and the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) with 190,000.
The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is expected to record 168,000 vehicles, while the Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) and the Kajang-Seremban Expressway (LEKAS) are each projected to see 135,000 vehicles.
“The East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1) is projected to record 83,000 vehicles, while the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2) is expected to see 44,000 vehicles,” he said in a statement here today.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hadzmir said LLM welcomed the government’s initiative to offer a toll discount of about 50 per cent for Class 1 vehicles (Class 2 on the Penang Bridge) for two days, from 12.01 am tomorrow until 11.59 pm on Saturday (Nov 7).
The discount applies to all highways nationwide, except at the Sultan Iskandar Building (BSI) Toll Plaza and the Tanjung Kupang Toll Plaza on the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (LINKEDUA).
To ensure smooth traffic flow, Mohd Hadzmir said highway concessionaires have been instructed to temporarily halt all maintenance work requiring lane closures from Nov 6 to 10, except in emergencies.
“Highway concessionaires have also been instructed to provide additional facilities, including parking spaces and portable toilets, at several major rest and service areas (R&Rs), as well as ensure cleanliness and adequate water and fuel supplies for the convenience of highway users,” he said.
In a separate statement, PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) said traffic is expected to increase from today as motorists head back to their hometowns or travel to holiday destinations.
“Traffic towards the Klang Valley is expected to increase on Nov 9 and 10 as highway users return from their Deepavali and school holiday trips,” it said.
As such, PLUS advised motorists to plan their journeys in advance and refer to the MyPLUS Travel Time Advisory (MyPLUS-TTA) to determine the best time to travel.
PLUS said it has also activated Smart Lanes at 32 selected locations, allowing motorists to use designated emergency lanes temporarily to ease traffic congestion.
To facilitate smoother traffic flow at toll plazas, motorists are encouraged to use JustGO, Malaysia’s first Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR)-based toll payment system, available at all PLUS toll plazas except the BSI Toll Plaza and those on the LPT2 highway.
For motorists heading to the East Coast, AFA Prime Berhad (AFA Prime), the concessionaire for KLK and LPT1, has activated its Travel Time Advisory (TTA) schedule to ease congestion at key entry points, particularly the Gombak, Bentong and Jabor toll plazas.
AFA Prime Berhad managing director and chief executive officer Ahmad Faizi Latifi Ahmad Faiz encouraged highway users to travel during off-peak hours, between midnight and 6 am on both days, for smoother journeys.
The public can obtain the latest traffic updates through the official X accounts of PLUS (@plustrafik) and LLM (@llminfotrafik), or contact the toll-free PLUSLine at 1-800-88-0000 for emergency assistance. Real-time traffic images are also available on the LLM website at https://www.llm.gov.my. — Bernama
