KUALA LUMPUR – PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) will temporarily halt roadworks on its highways from November 17 until 21 to facilitate travel for voting during the 15th general election (GE15).
In a statement today, the highway operator said that all highway maintenance, upgrading and construction works which require lane closures will be put on hold for the specified period.
It noted, however, that emergency works such as accident clearance and critical or emergency repair works will commence as usual.
“PLUS will also station cranes and tow trucks at strategic locations along the highway to ensure speedier clearance of accidents and vehicle breakdowns for smoother traffic flow,” it said.
During peak traffic hours today, The Vibes received reports of heavy and slow-moving traffic along the North-South Expressway from Gopeng heading to Tapah.
The congestion is believed to be due to several ongoing roadworks on the highway which forced vehicles to merge into a single lane.
Meanwhile, PLUS added that besides 1,500 personnel being stationed at toll plazas, all public facilities such as toilets, mosques and petrol stations at rest areas will operate around the clock.
It also re-issued its travel time advisory (TTA) to accommodate the 1.8 million to 1.9 million daily vehicles on its highways in light of GE15.
“Based on the TTA, those travelling out of the Klang Valley to northern states such as Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak, as well as to Johor and other states, are advised to enter the highway before 10am between November 16 and 18.
“Highway users heading towards other states (within the dates) are advised to enter the highway between 1pm and 4pm,” PLUS chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said in the statement.
He added that those who are planning to return to their hometowns to vote are advised to plan their journey and be prepared to face a longer travel duration due to increase in traffic. – The Vibes, November 15, 2022
