Traffic flow on major highways congested following long weekend

KUALA LUMPUR: By 6 pm, highway traffic across Malaysia was slow and congested due to the surge in vehicles following the school holidays and National Day holiday that commenced this weekend, according to a spokesperson for the Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA). Traffic heading northwards, particularly from Sungai Buloh to Bukit Beruntung, Bukit Tagar to Lembah Beringin, and Sungkai to Simpang Pulai, was moving at a snail's pace, as was congestion reported from Changkat Jering to Taiping Utara, Bukit Merah to Bandar Baharu, and Permatang Pauh towards Bertam.

Southbound traffic was also struggling, starting from Bangi towards Southville and continuing from Nilai Utara to Pedas Linggi. On the East Coast route, slow-moving traffic was noted from the Gombak toll plaza towards Genting Sempah and from Lentang to Bentong, with additional congestion from Lanchang to Temerloh due to flood mitigation repair works.

The spokesperson noted that the surge in vehicle numbers since yesterday evening and early this morning has led to a similar congestion trend seen during festive holidays. He anticipated that this high and slow traffic flow would persist until late tonight, as people took advantage of the holidays to travel to and from their hometowns.

Traffic on the West Coast Expressway (WCE) remained smooth in both directions so far. The MHA advised travelers to plan their journey, as driving times are expected to be lengthy, and urged the public to ensure their vehicles are well-maintained before embarking on their trips and to monitor the current traffic status via the MHA's official social media platforms or related media.