MANJUNG (March 28): The number of vehicles using the West Coast Expressway (WCE) is expected to increase by up to 75% from the daily traffic average during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebrations.

WCE operations chief Syed Muhd Naguib Syed Mohd said the increase in vehicles began on Friday especially after the government announced a 50% toll discount effective midnight on Thursday to 11.59pm on Saturday.

Based on previous average records, the route from Hutan Melintang to Taiping Selatan (Changkat Jering) spanning 102km is expected to experience a surge in traffic throughout this festive season.

"We also expect around 170,000 people to use the WCE daily throughout the Aidilfitri festive season this year," he said when met at the WCE Northern Region office here.

According to Syed Muhd Naguib, his team has made preparations to handle the increase in traffic by ensuring that highway assets and public facilities such as toilets and suraus are in good condition.

Syed Muhd Naguib said all toll plaza operations, with a strength 226 members, will be fully opened to ensure there will be no congestion for vehicles headed north on the WCE.

“Additionally, we also have a consultation session with PLUS Malaysia to ensure that the traffic flow in Changkat Jering is not congested by opening additional entry and exit lanes to facilitate users," he said.

At the same time, he said his team will conduct additional patrols so that emergency assistance will be expedited and this will shorten response times for the convenience of highway users.

"A total of 19 patrols will provide 24-hour monitoring and emergency assistance on the highways, including those at our traffic control centre.

"Additionally, rest and recreation (R&R) areas as well as several lay-bys such as in Sungai Nyior, SAE, Assam Jawa, Trong, and Taiping Selatan are fully operational for user convenience," he also said.

He added that his team also recommends highway users download the WCE application to make it easier for them to obtain the latest information on the locations of closed-circuit television (CCTV) recordings, public facilities and 24-hour emergency assistance on the highway.

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