PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Highway Authority expects an increase in traffic volume of up to 2.4 million vehicles daily starting Thursday (Feb 8) in conjunction with the Chinese New Year celebration.
The authority said that of the total, 1.5 million vehicles will use the North-South Expressway (PLUS), Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (199,000 vehicles), East Coast Expressway 1 (106,000 vehicles) and East Coast Expressway 2 (61,000 vehicles).
To address the situation, the authority has instructed all highway concessionaires to make thorough preparations so that road users can enjoy a safe and smooth journey.
"We've told concessionaires that they can't close highway lanes, except for emergencies, from Feb 5 to 14. They should activate smart-lane routes at identified locations on the PLUS and tidal-flow lanes on the KL-Karak Highway.
The concessionaires have also been instructed to ensure that the toll system works properly and to set up temporary toll lanes at some toll plazas with high traffic volumes, the authority said.
Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi on Thursday announced free highway tolls for two days from 12.01am on Feb 8 to 11.59pm on Feb 9 in conjunction with the Chinese New Year.
The authority also provides several guidelines for highway users, including planning their trips by referring to the MyPLUS-TTA application, ensuring vehicles are in good condition and sufficient balances in Touch 'n Go cards and e-wallets, and advising motorcycle riders to take shelter in provided areas during bad weather conditions.
The authority's Traffic Management Centre will operate for 24 hours from Feb 8 to 13 to provide the latest traffic information to highway users.
Highway users can contact the Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia Traffic Management Centre at 1800887752 if they need traffic information or assistance.
To check traffic status and any incidents on the highway, users can visit the authority's official Facebook page, X @LLMtrafik app, or TikTok @llmtrafik.- Bernama
