PETALING JAYA: Smooth traffic continued despite major highways nationwide showing an increase in vehicle volume past noon on the second day of the Chinese New Year (Feb 18).
Despite an anticipated rush to return home by holiday travellers, checks with online traffic updates showed smooth flow and no major traffic congestions observed at 2.30pm.
A PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) spokesman said traffic on the PLUS highways outside the Klang Valley is expected to sharply increase between Friday (Feb 20) and Sunday (Feb 22) when motorists return to their respective homes at the end of the festive season.
To ease congestion and enhance smoother traffic flow, Plus will open up smart lanes at 32 high-traffic spots across the highways.
"When using the smart lanes, motorists should drive cautiously and comply with local traffic instructions
"As for locations without smart lanes, motorists should strictly refrain from using emergency lanes," said the spokesman.
The West Coast Expressway (WCE) also remains in the green with smooth traffic flow reported.
WCE strategic communications and stakeholder engagement general manager Syed Mohammed Idid said over the past three days, traffic volume on the highway was between about 140,000 and 150,000 vehicles daily.
"We expect to see an increase in traffic on Wednesday as people return to work after celebrating CNY, while others may want to return to prepare for the fasting month, which begins Thursday (Feb 19)," he told the Star.
Plus also advised travellers to plan their journey in advance using the MyPLUS-TTA digital travel schedule to enjoy smoother travel on the highways.
It said motorists can download and access the PLUS application and pick the most optimum travel periods on PLUS expressways, including the East-Coast highway (LPT2).
The MyPLUS-TTA application enables smoother travel for motorists by providing the most suitable travel times for festive seasons and peak periods outside of the festive seasons.
Highway users may obtain the latest traffic information via the PLUS application, the virtual assistant - PUTRI, X@plustrafik, electronic message boards (VMS) at selected locations or through the country’s major radio stations.
The public may also contact PLUSLine at 1800-88-0000 or LPT2Line at 1800-88-0220 for emergency assistance.
