Raya exodus: PLUS expects two million vehicles on highways

KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) anticipates that approximately two million vehicles will use its highway network daily on peak days of Aidilfitri this year.

PLUS chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi Zabidi in a statement here said the figure translates to a 20% increase in traffic compared with normal days.

The peak days are from April 20 to 21, 24 to 25, April 29 to May 1, and from May 4 to 7.

"Therefore, we advise highway customers to plan for their ‘Balik Kampung’ travel earlier to avoid getting caught up in traffic surges during peak days,” he said on Tuesday (April 11).

In coping with the traffic increase, he said PLUS is preparing and taking various strategies to help travellers enjoy safer and more convenient travel on its highways.

"The strategies include safety, traffic and congestion management, traffic distribution, traffic management at toll plazas, facilities management at rest areas, as well as traffic information dissemination throughout the holiday period,” he said.

Zakaria said to ensure the safety of highway users, PLUS continues to collaborate with the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) for traffic law enforcement as well as carry out continuous road safety advocacy on the highways throughout the festive period.

In addition, he said PLUS also provides an Emergency Response Team comprising PDRM, JPJ, Civil Defence Force, St John Ambulance and Red Crescent Society at 11 strategic locations on the highway with more than 500 personnel.

"To improve the level of safety on the PLUS highway network including the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2) during the festive season, a total of 269 highway patrol teams including PLUSRonda and LPT2Ronda are assigned with patrolling 24 hours a day and to assist highway users in distress and emergencies. This is an increase of 9.3% over normal days,” he said.

PLUS will also issue its travel time advisory for the North-South Expressway as a strategy to distribute traffic and help the public to plan their “Balik Kampung” and return to the Klang Valley during the holidays. - Bernama