KUALA LUMPUR – Police have denied that the traffic congestion at the Jalan Duta Toll Plaza on May 31 was caused by motorists returning to their hometowns, after the allegations went viral on social media yesterday.
Kuala Lumpur Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department chief Zulkefly Yahya said the crawl, which extended for 3km, occurred between 12.30pm and 2.30pm on the day before the nationwide lockdown took effect.
“The main cause of congestion was due to the thorough inspection by police to ensure that members of the public followed the standard operating procedures (SOP) that had been set and it was found that the vehicles had inter-state travel permits,” he said in a statement today.
Zulkefly said the congestion was also due to people rushing to complete their errands before the start of the total lockdown.
He added that police had inspected about 4,536 vehicles passing through the toll plaza on said date and time.
“KL traffic police will continue to conduct detailed inspections to ensure there is no violation of the SOPs under the movement control order 3.0,” he said.
Meanwhile, deputy director of Bukit Aman’s traffic department Datuk Mohd Nadzri Hussain said traffic at the toll plaza recorded a drop of 66% yesterday.
“The department also found no congestion at all highway sectors and roadblocks after the MCO 3.0 was implemented,” he said in a statement today.
He urged the public to stop spreading unverified news and to always ensure their authenticity before uploading or sharing them on social media. – Bernama, June 2, 2021
