PLUS chief operating officer Zakaria Ahmad Zabidi said the TTA is aimed at preventing vehicles heading towards various destinations from “converging” at the same location on the highway and contributing to traffic congestion.
“TTA plays an important role in distributing traffic on the highway as it prevents vehicles from converging at the same location at the same time,” Zakaria said in a statement on PLUS’ website.
“The sudden spike in traffic at a particular location usually contributes to traffic congestion during the festive season and peak periods.”
PLUS anticipates about 1.5 million vehicles to ply the North-South Expressway (NSE) during this holiday period in conjunction with Christmas holidays. The figure translates to a 6% increase from the 1.4 million vehicles on normal days.
According to the TTA issued by PLUS in conjunction with the Christmas holiday, travellers from Klang Valley bound for Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (northern) and Johor are advised to enter the NSE before 10am.
Other states bound travellers are advised to use the NSE after 10am.
Zakaria said the TTA advisory, if adhered, would prevent vehicles heading towards Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Perak (northern) and Johor from converging with other states’ bound traffic.
“Instead, these vehicles will be scattered and distributed at various locations along the highway. This will contribute to smoother traffic flow,” he said.
Zakaria said based on studies and observations during previous festive seasons, traffic was generally smoother when more drivers followed the TTA.
He said the public can refer to the TTA on the PLUS website at: www.plus.com.my, the PLUSTrafik Twitter, PLUSMiles and PLUS Malaysia Facebook page.