PETALING JAYA: In anticipation of the increase in traffic on highways during the Chinese New Year period, PLUS Malaysia Berhad has issued a travel time advisory (TTA) to ease traffic flow leading up to the celebration.
PLUS expects daily traffic to increase from 1.4 million vehicles to 1.6 million during the festive period from Jan 28 to Feb 6.
For those planning to use the North-South Expressway, those leaving the Klang Valley to northern destinations like Perlis, Kedah, Penang and North Perak are advised to enter the highway before 10am.
This also applies to highway customers heading towards Johor in the south.
As for those who are travelling from the north to the Klang Valley, they are advised to start their journey before 9am.
For destinations closer to the Klang Valley, road users are advised to plan their journey to enter highways after 1pm.
PLUS chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi encouraged travellers to follow the TTA in order to avoid congestion as it can prevent vehicles heading to various destinations from converging at various locations along the highway.
Saying that Chinese New Year is a long-awaited joyous occasion, Zakaria reminded highway users to not let their guard down and maintain Covid-19 standard operating procedure – especially when stopping at the rest and service areas (R&R) and lay-bys.
“MySejahtera scans are still required and dining-in is allowed for fully vaccinated customers while physical distancing must be adhered to,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Jan 25).
Zakaria also reminded motorists to drive safely during bad weather and to be alert, adding that getting enough rest and sleep is important before starting the journey.
He also said that vehicular maintenance was vital to increase safety on highways.
“Seat belts are strongly encouraged for all passengers sitting at the back.
“Child safety seats are also important to protect the little ones,” he said, adding that road users should always follow speed limits.
He added that PLUSRonda highway patrol teams would be at hand to assist in any eventuality and can be contacted via the PLUSLine at 1-800 880 000 at any time.
“To ensure a seamless and smooth journey as one enters and exits the toll highways, ensure that the Touch ‘n Go card and Touch ‘n Go RFID e-Wallet have sufficient balance at all times. “The latest traffic updates are available from the PLUS App journey planner CCTV function, PLUSTrafik Twitter and Putri (PLUS Unique Texting Realtime Interface) chatbot as well as highway electronic messaging signs.
“Highway customers are encouraged to use Waze or Google Maps to navigate their journey as well,” he added.
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