GEORGE TOWN: The usual hustle and bustle of weekday traffic seemed to vanish here yesterday as many city dwellers returned to their home towns in preparation for the Chinese New Year celebrations that start tomorrow.
A check of popular routes such as the Penang Bridge, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Juru showed lighter traffic flow.
The usual rush hour gridlock was temporarily absent, creating a welcome calm on the roads.
Commuters who stayed behind reported a breezy, pleasant journey to work, with shorter travel times and fewer bottlenecks along major roads and highways.
As the day progressed, however, traffic near markets and shopping malls picked up with last-minute shoppers, and by 4pm, the Penang Bridge saw a heavy flow of vehicles leaving the island in anticipation of Chinese New Year.
Human resources manager Azimah Aziz, 41, who commutes daily from Kepala Batas on the mainland to Batu Maung on the island for work, said she started her journey from home at 7am and arrived at her office by 8am.
“Normally, I have to leave as early as 6am to reach my office by 7.30am.
“The lighter traffic situation has been consistent over the past few days, likely due to employees taking leave early, starting last Friday,” she said.
Another commuter, A. Siva, 35, said his drive was a breeze without the usual gridlock on the Penang Bridge.
“Today’s commute was a dream! I reached my office in half the usual time,” he said.
The shift in traffic patterns may be attributed to Penang becoming a major employment hub, drawing workers from neighbouring states.
Employment opportunities, particularly in the manufacturing sector, have drawn many from Kedah, Perlis and Perak. Additionally, people from Sabah and Sarawak have moved here to work in the medical and tourism industries.
However, there was traffic congestion in areas near shopping complexes and public markets.
At the Air Itam market, traffic came to a standstill as early as 7am due to last-minute shoppers.
The congestion peaked at around 9am, with hundreds of cars circling the area looking for parking or dropping off passengers.
On the North-South Expressway, traffic entering the mainland via the Penang Bridge was also building up as at press time.
Penang police chief Comm Datuk Hamzah Ahmad said that with the festive season and school holidays, traffic in Penang is expected to be heavy.
“We have identified several roads in Penang that are hotspots for traffic and have deployed policemen to monitor these areas,” he said.
On the suggestion by state infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari to reduce the speed limit to 90kph at the Jawi interchange in South Seberang Perai, Comm Hamzah said he supported the idea.
“Efforts to lower speed limits should be extended to other areas where necessary to boost road safety and prevent accidents,” he said.
Zairil had earlier said that the state government would discuss lowering the speed limit with federal authorities, particularly because minor accidents often occur at the Jawi interchange, which sometimes go unreported.
