PETALING JAYA, March 19 — Highway operator PLUS Malaysia Berhad said today it expects traffic on its highways to surge to 2.2 million vehicles daily during peak periods of the upcoming Aidilfitri holidays, a nearly 20 per cent increase from normal days.
PLUS said it will activate Smartlanes at 28 critical locations on its highways to ease congestion, an increase from 25 locations during the recent Chinese New Year period.
“When Smartlane is activated, highway users are advised not to exceed the speed limit. We recommend a speed limit of around 60 km/h for motorists using this lane,” its chief operating officer Datuk Ir. Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said in a statement.
“Additionally, highway users are strictly prohibited from driving in the emergency lane at other locations where Smartlane is not activated to avoid legal action by the authorities.”
To manage the higher traffic volume, PLUS said over 5,000 personnel are prepared to assist highway users.
This includes 1,471 staff for toll plaza operations, 60 personnel at traffic monitoring centres, 413 patrol officers from PLUSRonda and LPT2Ronda, 3,570 maintenance staff, 319 RELA officers, and 50 Emergency Response Team members at selected locations.
A list of Smartlane to be activated during the Raya festive period.
Highway users are also encouraged to follow the MyPLUS-TTA digital travel schedule available via the PLUS App to plan their trips efficiently.
Those who register and comply with MyPLUS-TTA will stand a chance to win prizes totalling RM20,000, including hotel vouchers and Touch ’n Go eWallet credits.
To enhance user comfort, PLUS has upgraded toilet facilities at 59 locations along its highways and will provide additional temporary toilets at selected rest areas.
Eight locations are expected to finish their upgrades before the period: Pendang Toll Plaza, Gunung Semanggol R&R (Northbound & Southbound), Simpang Pulai Lay-by (Southbound), Dengkil R&R (Southbound), Ayer Keroh Overhead Restaurant (Northbound), and Kijal Lay-by (Northbound & Southbound).
Additionally, 54 cabin toilet units will be provided at selected lay-bys and toll plazas during the festive period to complement the existing toilets available at rest areas and lay-bys.
For real-time traffic updates, highway users can check the PLUS App, Virtual Assistant PUTRI, electronic signboards, major radio stations, or contact PLUSLine at 1800-88-0000 and LPT2Line at 1800-88-0220.
