KL to have three contraflow lanes to ease jams: Loke

PUTRAJAYA – Three contraflow or tidal-flow lanes will be activated in Kuala Lumpur from July 3 as an immediate measure to tackle traffic jams in the capital, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.

The contraflow will involve the routes from the Sg Besi toll plaza to the Besraya interchange, Jalan Maharajalela to Taman Connaught, and Jalan Ampang from Ampang Point to Jalan Tun Razak. 

He said the activation of the three contraflow lanes was decided at a Technical Committee on Traffic Congestion meeting which he chaired here today.

The contraflow from the Sg  Besi toll plaza to the Besraya interchange will stretch along 2.4km, while the one from Jalan Maharajalela to Taman Connaught involves a 4-km stretch.

“The contraflow on the two routes is open to all types of vehicles, except motorcycles,” he told a press conference after the meeting. 

Loke said the contraflow from Ampang Point to Jalan Tun Razak, on the other hand, will involve a 3-km stretch, but specifically for public buses.

“No private vehicles are allowed to use the lane and enforcement action awaits those who violate it,” he said.

The minister said the activation of the contraflow will begin from 6am to 9am and from 5pm to 7pm.

He said the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, or Miros, will come out with guidelines to ensure the contraflow lanes’ activation will run smoothly and safely.

“There is no time frame fixed for this because we want to see the effectiveness… the contraflow activated in Jalan Cheras, for example, is still active even after 20 years.

“The activation of the contraflow lanes is hoped to reduce traffic congestion, but the long-term solution to this problem is still under discussion,” he said. 

Loke said the discussion, which involves academicians, was being held to find the reasons for traffic congestion and how to encourage people to use public transport.

He said a study carried out by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall found approximately six million vehicles are on the road in Kuala Lumpur every day.

“At present, public transport ridership is only at one million or 15%,” he said.

Meanwhile, Loke said the city hall has also been advised to be stricter in approving applications from contractors to temporarily close certain roads for any purpose, including construction. – Bernama, May 19, 2023