KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 ― Southbound traffic on the North-South Expressway in the north started to get congested this morning as people began to return to the Klang Valley with the Chinese New Year holiday coming to an end tomorrow.

A Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) spokesman when contacted said that as of 11.20am, congestion was reported from Hentian Juru to the Juru Toll Plaza in Penang and at the uphill stretch from Bukit Berapit in Changkat Jering to Kuala Kangsar.

"Congestion was also reported from Ipoh Selatan towards Simpang Pulai and Bidor to Sungkai but traffic was reported to be smooth flowing from the south and the East Coast to towards Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

He added that the congestion was expected to last until late in the afternoon and advised highway users to adhere to the travel itineraries issued by tolled highway concessionaires.

"Consumers are also advised to ensure that the balance in their Touch 'n Go (TnG) cards and the Radio Frequency (RFID) facility are sufficient to avoid congestion at toll plazas,” he said. ― Bernama