KUALA LUMPUR: PLUS Expressways Berhad (PLUS) has issued a travel time advisory to ensure smooth traffic flow during the "balik kampung" exodus in conjunction with the Chinese New Year which falls on Feb 3 and 4.
Its managing director, Datuk Noorizah Abd Hamid, said about 1.4 million vehicles would be using the North-South Expressway daily during the festive period, an increase of nearly 30 per cent from the daily 1.1 million vehicles.
"The increase in the vehicles will begin on Saturday as the public will start leaving for their hometowns then," she told reporters after launching the CNY travel time advisory (TTA) here today.
According to the TTA, between Jan 29 and Feb 2, highway users from the Klang Valley heading north to Kedah and Perlis or south to Skudai and Johor Baru are advised to start their journey before 11am.
Those heading to Penang, Taiping and Changkat Jering in Perak or south to Tangkak, Yong Peng and Ayer Hitam, are advised to start their journey between 11am and 4pm.
For those heading to Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh in Perak as well as Simpang Ampat and Ayer Keroh in Melaka, they can start their journey between 4pm and 8pm.
Those heading to Tapah, Bidor, Slim River and Tanjung Malim in Perak and Seremban, Port Dickson and Senawang in Negeri Sembilan are advised to start their journey after 8pm.
Noorizah said highway users from Singapore heading to Johor Baru, who are travelling in a car with registration plate numbers ending with an even number, could start their journey between 7am and 10am or between 2pm and 5pm.
"Vehicles from Singapore with registration plate numbers ending with an odd number, however, are advised to use the expressway between 10am and 1pm or between 5pm and 8pm," she said.
On Feb 5 and 6, users returning to Klang Valley and Singapore from Perlis, Kedah, Skudai and Johor Baru, are advised to start their journey before noon, while those from Penang, Taiping and Changkat Jering in Perak and Tangkak, Yong Peng and Ayer Hitam in Johor are encouraged to use the expressway between 3pm and 5pm.
Noorizah said users from Kuala Kangsar and Ipoh in Perak, and Simpang Ampat and Ayer Keroh in Melaka could start their journey home before 2pm.
"Those from Tapah, Bidor, Slim River and Tanjung Malim in Perak and Seremban, Port Dickson and Senawang in Negeri Sembilan can start their journey to the Klang Valley after 8pm.
Noorizah said that to speed up the transactions at toll plazas, PLUS would be opening over 1,000 counters and increasing the number of toll collectors by 25 per cent.
"PLUS will also close all Touch 'n' Go and PLUSMiles top-up counters at toll plazas from Saturday to Feb 6, and users are advised to top up the value of their cards at the Petronas stations at 10 selected rest and service areas," she said.
For enquiries and further information, the public can contact PLUSLine at 1-800-88-0000 or surf www.plus.com.my.
-Bernama