PLUS Malaysia Bhd (PLUS) today issued a time travel advisory (TTA) for North-South Expressway users, for the period from November 17 to 21.

PLUS chief operating officer Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said the TTA is aimed at reducing traffic congestion, which is expected to occur due to an expected increase of up to 1.9 million vehicles on the highway, in conjunction with the 15th general election (GE15) on Saturday.

He said highway users from the Klang Valley heading to Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (north) and Johor are advised to ply the highway from November 16 to 18 before 10am while users heading to other states are advised to use the highway between 1pm and 4pm.

For the journey back to Kuala Lumpur on November 20 and 21, he suggested users from Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (north), Johor and other states to ply the highway before 10am.

“People, especially those who want to return to their hometowns or to their respective polling locations, are advised to make thorough preparations and plan their journeys in advance to return home and return to the capital during this period,” he said in a statement today.

“Consumers should also expect to face longer travel times on the highway due to the increase in vehicles compared to normal days. However, PLUS is also making preparations in terms of highway operations to help the public enjoy a comfortable journey during that period.”

Zakaria said this preparation includes aspects of operational management as well as highway facilities at toll plazas and rest and service areas so that they are all at the best level to accommodate the increase in vehicles on the highway.

He said PLUS will also temporarily stop maintenance, upgrading or construction works that require lane closures on the highway from November 17 to 21 except for emergency works such as accident clearance and critical emergency repair work.

“PLUS also provides cranes and tow trucks at strategic locations to speed up the removal and towing of vehicles damaged or involved in accidents on the highway,” he said.

PLUS will assign about 200 PLUSRonda teams to carry out 24-hour patrols every day on the highway as well as 1,500 workers at the toll plazas to ensure smooth transactions as well as 30 workers at the traffic monitoring centre to monitor traffic movement and help coordinate assistance to highway users, he said.

“Motorists are advised to obey the speed limit, traffic instructions and be more alert when driving due to the rainy weather that has hit the country in several locations and PLUS wishes all highway users to reach their destinations safely to fulfil their responsibilities to the country,” he said.

The TTA schedule is available through the PLUS mobile app on the Google Play Store or App Store as well as the website and through PLUSTrafik’s Twitter. – Bernama, November 15, 2022.