Heavy traffic looms during Hari Raya exodus
GEORGE TOWN: Some 2.4 million vehicles are expected to travel in and out of Penang over the six-day Hari Raya Aidilfitri festive period starting Monday.
Penang deputy police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohamed Usuf Jan Mohamad said this would be double the 1.3 million cars recorded on the North-South Expressway in Penang over the past six days.
“We estimate between 2.2 million and 2.4 million vehicles to be using our highways – just like during other festivals.
“Being a tourist hotspot, Penang is expected to receive heavy traffic during the festive celebration.
“The number of additional vehicles, coupled with the usual 1.3 million vehicles plying the highway here, will definitely add to the congestion,” he told reporters after launching the Ops Selamat at Juru toll plaza yesterday.
Police, he said, would be conducting Ops Selamat during this period, with the help of some 800 policemen in Penang, of whom 300 were from the Traffic Department.
“Some 800 policemen in the state will be on duty for crime prevention and traffic monitoring during the festive period.
“To monitor and help ease the congestion, some 300 traffic policemen will be on duty,” he said.
DCP Mohamed Usuf also urged motorists to be patient and considerate when driving.
“Statistics in 2022 and 2023 have shown a drop in accident cases, from 700 cases to 677 cases involving 900 vehicles and 832 vehicles, respectively,” he said.
In PETALING JAYA, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Razarudin Husain said the latest edition of Ops Selamat would begin on Monday and end on April 13.
“This year’s theme is ‘Safe home, reaching your destination safely’.
“For those planning to go back to their hometowns for the holidays, I urge them to plan ahead and to be patient and responsible when driving,” he said in a video on the police’s official Facebook page yesterday.
Road users in private vehicles will enjoy toll-free travel on highways on Monday and Tuesday in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Toll-free travel for Class 1 (private vehicles) will be implemented on all highways nationwide from 12.01am on Monday until 11.59pm on Tuesday.
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