3.8 million vehicles expected to hit the road during CNY break

A total of 3.8 million vehicles are expected to hit the roads on expressways during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holiday which begins this weekend.

Public Works Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said given the increase in traffic volume, several initiatives had been taken by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) to ensure smooth traffic flow and the safety of road users during this period.

They include Op Selamat, carried out since last Friday with the cooperation of the police, and Op Bersepadu, to be launched tomorrow with the cooperation of the Road Transport Department, he said.

He said LLM and the concession companies would also operate around the clock with additional staff on duty.

"We will also ensure that the toll collection system works well, and provide additional lanes to reduce congestion at toll plazas," he said in an interview with Bernama Radio today.
 
He said tow trucks will also be provided at selected locations to help in the event of an accident.

Construction and maintenance work involving lane closures will be stopped from this Friday until next Wednesday to avoid disrupting traffic flow, he added.

According to Nanta, a total of 4,379 fatalities in road accidents were recorded in the country from January to September last year, out of 402,626 accident cases.

"This is an increase of 36% or 147,094 accident cases compared to the same period in 2021," he added.