3.5mil vehicles expected on highways during Raya

2026-03-17 - 11:11

The Malaysian Highway Authority has instructed all highway concessionaires to ensure there are no lane closures, except for emergencies, from tomorrow until March 30. (Bernama pic) PUTRAJAYA: The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) expects more than 3.49 million vehicles on major highways and expressways during peak travel days for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations. LLM director-general Hadzmir Yusoff said the increase in traffic is expected to begin tomorrow as motorists start travelling to the north, south, and east coast of Peninsular Malaysia. He said major highways under the PLUS group are expected to be used by 2.30 million vehicles, followed by the West Coast Expressway (WCE) with 215,000; the KL-Karak Highway, 210,000; the East Coast Expressway Phase 1, 106,000; and Phase 2, 65,000. The PLUS network, Malaysia’s largest highway operator, includes the North-South Expressway (NSE), the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE), the Elite Highway, and the East Coast Expressway Phase 2 (LPT2). For connecting highways, the Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (DUKE) is projected to be used by 295,000 vehicles, the Kajang-Seremban Expressway (LEKAS) 159,000, and the Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) 135,000, Hadzmir added. He said all highway concessionaires have been instructed to avoid lane closures except for emergencies from tomorrow until March 30. They have also been told to ensure smooth toll collection, including layered toll operations at critical plazas and the activation of 34 smart lane locations on the North-South Expressway. Checks on highway operations will be intensified, including at rest and service areas (R&R) and lay-bys, along with the provision of 65 portable toilets, sufficient water supply, and increased staff and parking at selected locations, he said. “Users can obtain real-time traffic updates and information on highway incidents via LLM’s official social media platforms or by contacting the LLM Traffic Management Centre at 1-800-88-7752,” Hadzmir said. Motorists are also advised to plan their journeys using the TuJu application and PLUS’s travel time advisory (TTA), ensure their vehicles are in good condition, and maintain sufficient balance for toll payments via Touch ’n Go, e-wallets, or debit cards. The government has announced a 50% discount on toll charges nationwide in conjunction with the Aidilfitri celebrations. The discount will take effect at 12.01am tomorrow and end at 11.59pm on Thursday. It applies only to Class 1 private vehicles and will not include tolls at border crossings, namely the Sultan Iskandar Building and Tanjung Kupang toll plazas. The move is expected to cost the government about RM21.03 million in compensation to toll concessionaires.