SUBANG: There will be no road ban for heavy vehicles on highways during the upcoming Deepavali celebrations.
This decision contrasts with other major festive periods, such as Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri, when such bans are typically enforced to ease traffic congestion.
Works Ministry Deputy Secretary-General (Policy & Development) Datuk Zahrul Hakim Abdullah said that despite the absence of a ban, safety measures will not be compromised.
He said preparations are in place to manage the potential impact of heavy vehicles on traffic, particularly in case of accidents.
"Restrictions on heavy vehicles require a gazette process by the government.
"For Deepavali, and several other festive occasions, no such restriction has been imposed," he said at a press conference on highway preparations for Deepavali, held at Persada Plus.
Also present were Plus managing director Datuk Nik Airina Nik Jaffar, Malaysian Highway Authority senior director Junaidah Jamni, Bukit Aman Traffic Enforcement and Investigation Department principal assistant director Superintendent Khairul Azhar Ismail, and Road Transport Department Enforcement Division chief assistant director (Operations) Lokman Junoh.
Meanwhile, Superintendent Khairul Azhar added that quick response units have been stationed at key highway sectors to handle any accidents involving heavy vehicles, reducing the chances of prolonged roadblocks.
"We have positioned our teams at strategic locations across the highways to take immediate action if an accident occurs.
"Heavy vehicles often cause severe traffic delays, and we are prepared to clear such incidents as quickly as possible," he said.
Nearly 500 police personnel will be deployed across 28 highway sectors, covering 16 sections of the North-South Expressway and the East Coast Highway during the festive period, supported by emergency teams and highway authorities.
In the event of an accident, Khairul said swift action would be taken to minimise disruptions.
"If an accident occurs, the Traffic Management Centre will be the first to respond.
"We also have Plus Ronda, auxiliary police, and other personnel on standby.
"We will evaluate the key performance indicators for congestion, and if it exceeds the threshold we've set, we will take the necessary actions to ease traffic for all road users."