GEORGE TOWN: Penang police estimate that over 2.4 million vehicles will enter the state during this year’s Chinese New Year holidays.
Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said on average, around 200,000 vehicles are expected to travel in and out of the state daily, with the volume increasing as the Chinese New Year celebration approaches on Jan 29.
"The traffic volume is expected to reach its peak beginning next week as the Chinese New Year nears. So far, the police have identified eight ‘blackspot’ areas where accidents frequently occur in Penang,” he told Bernama on Saturday (Jan 25).
The identified areas are Jalan Air Itam Paya Terubong and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong in the Northeast district, as well as Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Tun Dr Awang in the Southwest district.
Meanwhile, in Seberang Perai Utara, the identified areas are Jalan Teluk Air Tawar to Jalan Bagan Luar, Jalan Perusahaan Perai and the North-South Expressway in Seberang Perai Tengah, and Jalan Besar Simpang Ampat in Seberang Perai Selatan.
Hamzah said police officers will be stationed at "blackspots” and high-traffic hot spots to manage vehicle flow around the clock.
Meanwhile, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) Enforcement and Public Education Permanent Committee acting chairman Shafiz Rahim Raja said MBPP has launched a school holiday operation (Ops Cuti Sekolah) to focus on enforcement and traffic control at key tourist and high-traffic areas to ensure smooth traffic flow.
Among the traffic management initiatives are "Ops Payung” and utilising closed-circuit cameras as "Intelligent Eyes” to monitor and report congestion points, enabling officers to be promptly deployed. A 24-hour maintenance team will also be on standby to address any issues that may arise.
MBPP has activated Ops Payung at several key focal locations. On Penang Road, operation runs from 11 am to 5pm from Jan 18 to Feb 16, while at Bukit Bendera, operation covers two areas from 12pm to 6pm from Jan 25 to Feb 16. In Ayer Itam, the operation will commence from 4pm to 11pm from Jan 29 to Feb 5.
Shafiz, in a statement, said MBPP has also implemented a road closure for the entry lane from Lebuh Light to Jalan Padang Kota Lama (facing Town Hall) starting from 6 pm daily, from Jan 18 to Feb 16, to ensure smooth vehicle flow exiting Padang Kota.
Additionally, MBPP, the police, and the Road Transport Department are also conducting patrols and traffic management at other areas prone to congestion during the school holiday season, such as Persiaran Gurney, Pulau Tikus, areas around Komtar and Persiaran Bayan Indah (Queensbay Mall). – Bernama
