KOTA KINABALU: Sabahans travelling along the Tamparuli-Ranau stretch during the Raya holiday rush found themselves trapped in traffic jams, with some spending half a day on the road.
Many of these travellers took to social media to vent their frustration.
May Batrisyha May shared a video on Facebook showing bumper-to-bumper traffic near Kinabalu National Park, where a journey that usually takes just 30 minutes from there to Ranau town lasted hours instead.
“This is unbelievable, from town all the way to the National Park and still in a jam, crazy. The cars are not moving,” she was heard saying in the video.
Other road users also reported the jam extending beyond the National Park, reaching as far as Tamparuli – a 72km stretch from Ranau.
Dason Yalif wrote that his friend left the capital at 8am but by 1.30pm, still had not reached Ranau town.
Another user, Adams Axls, called his four-hour drive from Kundasang to Ranau “super stressful”.
On a normal day, the journey would just take around half an hour.
Mariana Manan said she left Kundasang at noon and only arrived in Ranau at 6pm.
“I used to just hear about it, but yesterday (Saturday) I experienced it myself.
“Bus passengers even got off because they couldn’t take it any longer. Some people even got out to buy food to break their fast, and we still had not moved.
“Imagine, we left Penampang at 10.30am and only reached Sandakan at 12.30am,” she said.
Many have called for better traffic management, with some suggesting alternative routes such as the Kota Kinabalu-Tambunan-Ranau road, which reportedly had lighter traffic.
The Tamparuli-Ranau stretch is a key route leading to Sabah’s east coast, connecting major districts like Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Tawau, Semporna, Beluran and Kunak.
It remains the most direct and preferred choice for most travellers heading to the east coast.
While an alternative route exists via the Kota Kinabalu-Keningau-Kalabakan road, it is significantly longer and mainly used by those travelling directly to Tawau, Lahad Datu or Semporna.
With traffic congestion now an annual occurrence during festive seasons, many are urging the authorities to implement better road management strategies to ease the burden on travellers.
Meanwhile, car retailer Herman Nordin is thrilled to be back with his family after “quite a stress-free journey home”, despite the nearly 10-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu to Tawau.
Having learned from past experiences, Herman knew that preparation was key.
Three months earlier, his drive from Kundasang town to Ranau for Christmas took him nearly two hours because of congestion.
“It should have been just a 30-minute trip. That was a real lesson. So this time, I left early to beat the traffic,” he said.
With his wife Nor Aisyah Kasti and their two-year-old son Mohd Yusuf in tow, he set off for Kampung Ranggu, Tawau, at 6am yesterday.
A day before his trip, he went to a car workshop to get final maintenance checks including a tyre alignment.
“The last thing we need is a breakdown along the way,” said Herman, 32.
To stay focused on the road, he prepared a playlist for the journey.
“Music helps keep me alert. I have a morning playlist, midday songs, and, of course, Raya tunes as we get closer to home,” he said.
As for civil servant Mike Gondoi, 49, he was also at the workshop getting his car checked before heading to Sook, Keningau.
Although he does not celebrate Hari Raya, he said the long weekend was an opportunity for him to visit his hometown and catch up with Muslim relatives.
“It is only a three-hour drive, but with my wife and kids in the car, I don't want to take chances. It is better to be safe than sorry,” he added.
In Sabah, April 2 has been declared an additional public holiday as a replacement for the governor's official birthday yesterday.
