Traffic flow on several main highways heading towards the East and North Coasts, reportedly started to slow down as of 9am this morning, as many people started returning to their hometowns to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
A spokesperson for the Malaysian Highways Authority (LLM) said that the flow of traffic on the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) from Gombak to Genting Sempah began to be congested from Gombak to Genting Sempah involving a distance of 17 kilometers from the Gombak Toll.
“The traffic flow towards the North from Slim River to Sungkai and from the Menora Tunnel to the Sungai Perak RnR is also seen to be slowing down,” he said when contacted by Bernama this morning.
Traffic flow was also reported to be slow in the North direction from Bidor towards Tapah.
Meanwhile, the accident that was reported to have occurred at KM314.7 in the North direction from Tapah to Gopeng at 7.43 am, has been resolved and the vehicle started to move smoothly.
In addition, several Smartlane routes have also been activated this morning, among them at KM4.5 to KM1.9 in the South direction from Setia Tropika to Pasir Gudang and also in KM27.0 to KM19.0 in the South direction from Kulai to Senai.
The public can get the latest traffic information through the Plusline toll-free line 1-800-88-0000 and the Twitter page www.twitter.com/plustrafik or the LLM line 1-800-88-7752 and the Twitter page at www.twitter.com/llminfotrafik .
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook is expecting tens of thousands of passengers to flood Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminals 1 and 2 starting today until the eve of Aidilfitri.
He said the peak travel time for passengers returning to their hometowns via air transportation will begin this weekend, as many have taken leave for the Aidilfitri celebrations expected on April 10.
“Saturday and Sunday are expected to be the busiest as many have taken the opportunity to take leave on Monday and Tuesday. Most flights are already fully booked until April 9,” he said.
He told reporters this after overseeing the departure of the first fixed-rate late-night AirAsia flight from Kuala Lumpur to Miri at KLIA2 yesterday.
Loke noted that AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air have seen high demand with full capacity flights since three weeks ago, especially on routes from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Tawau.
He also commended aviation sector workers, including technicians, for sacrificing their time and holiday to ensure smooth operations during this period.
Loke said AirAsia’s late-night flight initiative will benefit some 22,000 passengers to Sarawak with a fixed fare of RM298 one way, while for Sabah, it is priced at RM348.
He said a total of 122 AirAsia late-night flights will operate from yesterday until April 14, not only to ensure sufficient flights for the Aidilfitri celebration but also provide passengers with affordable fares.
Meanwhile, AirAsia Aviation chief executive officer Bo Lingam said the additional late-night flight initiative reflects AirAsia’s commitment to ensuring affordable fares for all, especially during festive seasons.
“The Aidilfitri period is one of the busiest times for AirAsia, with over 500 daily flights departing from all AirAsia hubs,” he said.
He expects all AirAsia hubs to experience an influx of 75,000 passengers starting today, with 40,000 passengers at KLIA Terminal 2.
