KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 4.5 million vehicles were traveling along the major highways nationwide yesterday as Malaysians took the opportunity to balik kampung and go for a short holiday during Deepavali celebration and the long weekend.
Federal Police Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department director Datuk Mat Kasim Karim said the traffic volume was the same as before the implementation of the Movement Control Order in March last year.
He said records showed that 3.5 million vehicles were on the highways on Deepavali day (Thursday) and 4.4 million on Wednesday.
"Based on yesterday's records, there were 1,270,145 vehicles using the North South Expressway, Kuala Lumpur- Karak Expressway (183,087) and Phase 1 of East Coast Expressway (68,088), the three main highways in the country.
"Observations at seven major plaza tolls showed that total of vehicles increased significantly compared to Oct 18 as many were travelling back to their kampung for the long weekend," he said in a statement today.
Mat Kasin said the traffic volume at the Gombak toll plaza increased by 57.6 per cent from 70,312 vehicles on Oct 18 to 110,820 vehicles yesterday.
For the same period, traffic at the Jalan Duta toll plaza increased to 64,439 from 57,544 on Oct 18, a 11.98 per cent increase; Sungai Besi toll plaza from 40,924 to 41,655 (1.79 per cent); heading south, Skudai toll plaza from 20,984 to 28,859 (37.5 per cent); heading north, the Juru toll plaza from 40,980 to 47,894 (16.8 per cent); heading east, Bentong toll plaza from 46,816 to 72,267 (54.3 per cent); and the Karak toll plaza from 13,900 to 22,589 (62.5 per cent).
He, however, said there was no excessive congestion detected at the highways.
"Congestion was detected at federal roads and state roads, this is due to the long weekend and interstate travel is now permitted.
"Traffic controls are being conducted at state and district levels to disperse the traffic.
"Further action will be continued through full enforcement of Op Lancar," he said.