KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 11 — The Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) is expecting traffic volume to increase to four million compared to 3.5 million vehicles in a single day following the government’s move to allow interstate travel from today.

Director-general Datuk Mohd Shuhaimi Hassan in a statement said LLM is fully prepared and has taken the necessary steps to ensure smooth traffic flow on the highways, especially during weekends and the Mauldur Rasul public holiday on October 19.

“To ensure smooth traffic movement, LLM has instructed the highway concessionaires to schedule maintenance works and avoid lane closures, especially on the North-South Highway, Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway, East Coast Highway and Kajang-Seremban Highway during weekends or public holidays to avoid congestion,” he added.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, at a special press conference yesterday, said that the government has agreed to allow individuals who have been fully vaccinated to travel across states without having to obtain a police permit starting today.

Mohd Shuhaimi said the highway operators have also been instructed to make preparations to ensure that all the rest and service areas (R&R) and lay-bys are in proper order and in compliance with the standard operating procedure (SOP) set by the National Security Council and Health Ministry to curb the spread of Covid-19.

Meanwhile, he advised highway users to ensure that their vehicles are in good condition and their Touch ‘n Go cards have sufficient balance before entering the highway, adding that drivers must have sufficient rest before embarking on long journeys as well as adhere to the stipulated SOP.

For assistance or information on the traffic situation, contact LLM Traffic Management Centre at 1-800-88-7752 or through LLM Facebook or on Twitter @LLMinfotrafik. — Bernama