Major roads leading to tourist hotspots in Penang jammed
GEORGE TOWN: Christmas may be over but until the school term commences next week, the narrow roads here are expected to be congested with an influx of vehicles from outside the state.
This is because there is an estimated 40% increase in the entry of vehicles, as reported by Penang Bridge Sdn Bhd (PBSB), said Traffic Police Operation and Enforcement Officer Asst Supt Ahmad Ezzely Razali.
A check in several areas here at about 2pm yesterday showed that the major roads leading to tourists spots and landmarks in Penang were jammed.
The roads were Magazine Road (next to 1st Avenue Mall), Penang Road leading to Transfer Road and Burmah Road as well as Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah leading to Lebuh Farquhar and Jalan Mesjid Kapitan Keling.
Traffic along those roads was slow-moving.
“The traffic congestion is expected to continue until school reopens. We have deployed our traffic officers to the congested areas during peak hours from 6am to 8am and from 5pm to 7pm daily. They will direct the traffic flow along busy roads and at tourist spots.”
He said traffic police would be deployed in full force during the festive period.
ASP Ahmad Ezzely said the traffic movement here was monitored in the control rooms of the state police headquarters and the George Town district police headquarters.
He advised motorists to report incidents that could cause congestion such as minor accidents to the control room at 04-222 1722 or 04-218 1822.
A company driver who only wished to be known as Ali said that it took him 30 minutes to get from Komtar to Anson Road where his office is.
“On normal days, it takes me about five minutes or less,” he said.
Sundry shop assistant, R. Surenthar, 19, said he had noticed a traffic crawl at Jalan Masjid Kapitan Keling in front of his shop.
“It is the same each year during the school holidays,” he said.
Figures from the portal penangeconomicmonhtly.com, which quoted the Road Transport Department, show that there are some 800,000 registered motorists along with a million registered motorcycles.
Source: The Star
With so many junctions and traffic lights nothing is surprising that almost
every roads are jam everyday. No improvement done for so many years
but just been able to point out the problem by the authority. Next and
following year they will say the same thing over and over again.
No worry if traffic crawl.
You only need to worry when there’s no tourist, investor come in..just imagine the road is sikly smooth, OMG !