PETALING JAYA: According to experts, traffic jams are expected to worsen this year, further exacerbating the headache for Malaysians.
Law Teik Hua, a road safety expert, has warned that there will be more congestion on roads in the Klang Valley and major highways in 2024 due to the continued increase in vehicle ownership.
Law, who heads Universiti Putra Malaysia’s Road Safety Research Centre, said that the ongoing trend of increasing vehicle ownership is expected to amplify congestion concerns.
Many motorists have experienced significantly longer travel times, with a journey that usually takes two and a half hours turning into a five-hour crawl.
Writer Jarod Wong, 34, described how his recent journey from Melaka to the Klang Valley turned into a nightmare due to bumper-to-bumper traffic all the way to Bangi.
V. Nithya, 29, said that her daily commute from Shah Alam to Kuala Lumpur, which used to take only 45 minutes, now takes over an hour, attributing this to the increased number of cars on the road following a tax exemption to stimulate sales after the pandemic hit.
Rabiahtul Adawiyah, 30, also noted the increased traffic congestion during weekends, causing her journey from Kuala Lumpur to Taiping to take almost double the usual time.
Law emphasized that unoptimized traffic flow and infrastructure limitations are contributing to the congestion, and while efforts are being made to enhance public transportation, the impact of these improvements may take time to materialize.
He suggested the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into traffic monitoring and management systems to enhance their effectiveness, as well as promoting a clear shift towards public transportation over private vehicle use, and implementing flexible working hours to stagger the morning and evening traffic rush hours, thereby reducing congestion.
Additionally, Law proposed comprehensive strategies for the enhancement and expansion of existing transit systems, as well as investment in modernizing and upgrading public transport infrastructure to significantly contribute to the reliability and efficiency of these services.
