PLUS activates 21 additional 'smart lane' locations starting Oct 30 for Deepavali

KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PLUS) will activate 21 "smart lane" locations during the Deepavali holiday season, starting Oct 30, to facilitate smoother traffic flow in areas identified as critical congestion points.

Public Works Ministry (Policy and Development Sector) deputy secretary-general Datuk Zahrul Hakim Abdullah said these locations are an addition to the existing ones implemented during previous holiday seasons.

The smart lanes will include Gua Tempurung-Gopeng at KM303.2-KM297 (Northbound) and Slim River-Sungkai KM367.3-N4354 (Northbound) in the central region, Bandar Cassia-Sg Bakap Lay-by at KM 155.5-KM 157.2 (Southbound) in the northern region, and Port Dickson-Seremban at KM260-KM263.1 (Northbound) and Ayer Keroh-Kg Bemban Lay-by at KM194.5-KM184 (Southbound) in the southern region.

"The activation period depends on the location; for dark areas, they will remain open until 10 pm, starting from Wednesday through Sunday,” Zahrul Hakim told reporters during a site visit to the PLUS Traffic Monitoring Centre at Menara Persada Plus.

To avoid confusion, PLUS will place informational signs at each location to prevent accidents, particularly involving motorcycles.

"We urge road users to drive considerately and within speed limits, as traffic is expected to increase from the usual 1.8 million vehicles to 2.1 million during this festive period," he added.

Meanwhile, PLUS managing director Datuk Nik Airina Nik Jaffar announced that it has released a Travel Time Advisory (TTA) schedule via the MyPLUS-TTA app to help travelers plan their journeys.

"We have also made improvements to R&R areas, including adding over 90 portable toilets to supplement the existing facilities, enhancing convenience for users," she added.

In a subsequent media briefing, the police assured prompt response to accidents throughout the festive period to prevent prolonged congestion.

Bukit Aman Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, deputy director of Enforcement, Supt Khairul Azhar Ismail, explained that if an accident cannot be resolved within two hours, a mandatory exit plan will be activated to divert traffic flow.

"Approximately 3,000 personnel nationwide, including 500 stationed across 28 sectors and 16 highway sections, will be deployed to manage traffic throughout the holiday period,” he said.