A total of 3.28 million vehicles are expected to use major highways across the country daily during peak traffic for Deepavali this Sunday, with motorists likely to face heavier traffic from Thursday.
Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) director-general Ir Mohd Hadzmir Yusoff said traffic is expected to increase as travellers head towards the east coast, northern and southern regions.
Of the projected figure, the PLUS highway network is expected to record the highest volume at 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 projected to see 168,000 vehicles, while the Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) and Kajang-Seremban Expressway (LEKAS) are each expected to record 135,000 vehicles.
The East Coast Expressway Phase 1 (LPT1) is forecast to receive 83,000 vehicles, while LPT2 is expected to record another 44,000.
Mohd Hadzmir said LLM welcomed the government’s initiative to offer a 50 per cent toll discount for Class 1 vehicles, as well as Class 2 vehicles at Penang Bridge, for two days from 12.01am today until 11.59pm on Saturday (Nov 7).
The discount applies to all highways except the two border toll plazas — Bangunan Sultan Iskandar (BSI) and Tanjung Kupang — along the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link (LINKEDUA).
To manage the expected traffic surge, concessionaires have been instructed to temporarily suspend all maintenance work involving lane closures from Nov 6 to 10, except for emergencies.
They have also been directed to provide additional facilities, including parking spaces and portable toilets at selected major rest and recreation (R&R) stops, while ensuring sufficient water supplies, clean facilities and fuel at petrol stations.
Meanwhile, PLUS Malaysia Berhad said traffic is expected to pick up from today as motorists begin travelling to their hometowns and holiday destinations.
Traffic heading towards the Klang Valley is expected to increase on Nov 9 and 10 as travellers return after the Deepavali and school holidays.
PLUS advised motorists to plan their journeys early and refer to the MyPLUS Travel Time Advisory (MyPLUS-TTA) to choose suitable departure times.
It has also activated Smart Lanes at 32 selected locations, allowing emergency lanes to be temporarily used as additional lanes to ease congestion.
Motorists are encouraged to use JustGO, Malaysia’s first toll payment system based on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, which is available at all PLUS toll plazas except BSI and LPT2.
For those travelling to the east coast, KLK and LPT1 concessionaire AFA Prime Berhad has activated its Travel Time Advisory (TTA) schedule to help reduce congestion, particularly at the Gombak, Bentong and Jabor toll plazas.
AFA Prime managing director and chief executive officer Ahmad Faizi Latifi Ahmad Faiz encouraged motorists to take advantage of the ‘Free Travel Time’ window between midnight and 6am on both dates for a smoother journey.
Motorists can check the latest traffic updates through PLUS’ official X account, @plustrafik, and LLM’s @llminfotrafik, or contact the PLUSLine toll-free hotline at 1-800-88-0000 for emergency assistance.
