Gov’t encouraging motorists to use federal roads

Gov’t encouraging motorists to use federal roads

The government is encouraging motorists to utilise federal roads on a wider scale, saying that aside from being cheaper to travel on compared to private highways, these routes offer a various number of attractions and facilities.

According to works minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof, federal roads are the right choice for road users who want a more relaxed drive. “Today, the public has the perception that private highways are the main thoroughfares, when they are actually alternative routes. Private highways are actually the routes of choice for motorists who want to get to their destinations fast,” he said.

Over the past year, the ministry has been showcasing federal roads to the media via a series of roadshows to highlight these routes. In bringing these to attention, it hopes to attract more motorists to pick these roads as the route of choice to their destinations, Bernama reports.

The latest roadshow in the FT Roadpedia programme involves routes in the southern zone, and follows on the ones highlighting the central (in August last year) and eastern zones (in February this year). Held from May 7-9, the southern zone roadshow involves routes covering four states (Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor), over a distance of 688 km.

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Anthony Lim

Anthony Lim believes that nothing is better than a good smoke and a car with character, with good handling aspects being top of the prize heap. Having spent more than a decade and a half with an English tabloid daily never being able to grasp the meaning of brevity or being succinct, he wags his tail furiously at the idea of waffling - in greater detail - about cars and all their intrinsic peculiarities here.

 

Comments

  • Johnson Potien on May 08, 2017 at 9:55 am

    If car car break down at federal roads very difficult to get road assistance compared to private roads..

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 21 Thumb down 0
  • Yes, go ahead and drive along a federal route if you want your blood pressure to shoot up through the roof on a single lane driving behind a slow bus/lorry/tractor/old man on a motorbike for kilometers after kilometers with no overtaking lanes.

    Well-loved. Like or Dislike: Thumb up 56 Thumb down 1
    • pak atan on May 08, 2017 at 11:13 am

      Pandu cermat dan nikmati kampong scenery. Nowadays…up my mind not to care so much about the destination, and simply enjoy the journey.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 26 Thumb down 6
    • YB Kunta Kinte on May 08, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      gomen also like that ….slow and relax. That is why they encourage us to be slow and relax. Do everything slowly. Minum teh 8x and relax.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 14 Thumb down 8
  • Malaysian on May 08, 2017 at 10:09 am

    For others state, should be ok especially Penang, Johor, which have few private highway but with other federal/state road as alternate. But for Selangor or KL, the federal road is worse and too many private highway which is more convenient and also shorter distance.

    To encourage user to use federal road. Make sure good maintenant and also plan route to make it more smooth and shorter route.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 33 Thumb down 1
    • Actually in city, federal routes r easier cuz most pipu & GPS defaulted to use hiway. so less use federal roads.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 1
    • Ipoh Mali on May 08, 2017 at 12:16 pm

      I occasionally use the trunk road when travelling back to Ipoh especially during peak season. Many places to stop for drinks, buy fruits from roadside stalls and nicer kampung scenery.
      I think the govt should put more effort in road maintenance. A lot of potholes on these roads and some areas need more street lights and a repaint of the road markings.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 31 Thumb down 0
  • Bijak sekali! Jimatkan tol & murah kos sara hidup.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 9 Thumb down 15
  • applegreen on May 08, 2017 at 10:55 am

    From my home to Penang:

    using highway=315km
    time travelling=4 hours-4.5hours
    must pay toll

    using federal roads=380km
    time travelling=6-7hours
    no toll, but extra penat

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 44 Thumb down 0
  • At least widen into dual lanes 1st. Cuz a lot of trucks now uses trunk roads.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 15 Thumb down 0
    • awang tanah on May 08, 2017 at 12:02 pm

      That’s how East Malaysian feels when driving along our “Pan Borneo Highway” for the last 50 years.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 10 Thumb down 1
      • Well, thanks to the person so many on this side of MY despise, PBH will get free upgrade. Shows that loyalty does have value…

        Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
  • Travel distance longer leading to increased tiredness and higher accident rate. Also congestion makes people frustrated and increases road rage. Local drivers will fume at the increased traffic hindering their daily activities. Do we really want more road deaths? If I’m not mistaken, data shows lower accident rates on highways compared to federal roads. I’m thinking this move was made to improve small traders business along smaller towns

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
  • Socai (ori) on May 08, 2017 at 11:11 am

    Federal roads are extremely dangerous due to ah beng lalamoi overtaking and u often read such fatal accidents in Haruan Metro

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 0
  • Black Dog on May 08, 2017 at 11:12 am

    Add in overtaking lanes every 5km AND reduce (not increase) the number of traffic lights near towns, then worth considering.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 18 Thumb down 0
    • Ahmad Nizar Safian on May 08, 2017 at 6:34 pm

      At last somebody who say we should reduce traffic lights.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • alldisc on May 08, 2017 at 11:16 am

    Hey!! That is my escape route for the past 15 years. Now you tell the public, then the roads will be congested as well. Why? Why?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 12 Thumb down 3
  • the driver on May 08, 2017 at 11:34 am

    Yeah, more accidents due to speeding inconsiderate drivers and to traffic blind villagers who regard the trunk roads as their own roads. Worse are rioting when livestock are killed. No thanks. Teach the drivers and the people who live by such roads and I would consider the suggestion.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 6
    • enzo611 on May 09, 2017 at 11:10 pm

      Yeah… especially at routes that have lots of bends.. often you meet drivers that are either too confident or too noob

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
  • RejimKejamGanas on May 08, 2017 at 11:52 am

    How does one get to Puchong from KL without going through toll?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 2
    • Warren Wong Yee Ket on May 08, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      Jalan Puchong to Old Klang Road

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 0
    • Jalan Puchong – OKR – Jalan Syed Putra -Jalan Sltn ismail / Jalan Loke Yew

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
    • Bash Basher on May 08, 2017 at 2:11 pm

      Are you being sarcastic or you are genuinely ignorant.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 0 Thumb down 0
    • Another is to enter Federal hiway from subang/sunway – Jalan Syed Putra -Jalan Sltn ismail / Jalan Loke Yew

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
  • Zainal Othman on May 08, 2017 at 12:17 pm

    Sorry, I have to disagree with the honourable minister. Federal roads are simply not safer and faster than private highways. Almost 75% of my bad experience occurred while driving on federal roads.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 16 Thumb down 0
    • Helmut Kohl on May 08, 2017 at 5:02 pm

      I have used the Federal ROADs in Perak. It is sometimes er frustrating if you end up behind a lorry. And overtaking is not recommended, believe me. Well I understand you can’t widen them as there are private property on boh sides if the road.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • amfin on May 08, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    A good idea to increase commerce and small scale industries in and around the federal roads. Best suggestion is to put up a proper road divider and staggered U-turning point especially near small towns or bit crowded kampung to avoid the indiscriminate U-turning that is causing a lot of death to motorist. Not forgetting the pedestrian bridges if the roads is a 4 laner or more.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • rally_fan (Member) on May 08, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    statistics every year proves it as well.. federal roads have one of the highest accident and fatality rates. our highways actually have one of the lowest.. but unfortunately, most of the enforcement is on highways, possibly because its far easier to put a speed camera on a highway.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • Tok Guru on May 08, 2017 at 12:31 pm

    These federal roads are not very well maintained. So why should i choose to use it?

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 0
  • This is the hint that government want to increase toll again !!!!

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 8 Thumb down 3
    • Rakyat Malaysia on May 08, 2017 at 2:12 pm

      when 5% – 10% users change to use federal roads, highway companies will claim they are losing 20% of income, then will need goverment to take up the portion of the lost… you know the answer…

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
    • Its not Gov that increase toll, its concessionaires. And increament is yearly event build into contract. So how does this relates?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 7 Thumb down 3
  • Excessive traffic congestion
    Too many potholes
    Uneven road surface
    Federal road = more relaxed drive?

    i can’t brain this out

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 11 Thumb down 0
    • suweii on May 08, 2017 at 4:21 pm

      Unfortunately, i found by driving to Ipoh using federal road more relaxing and conscious compared boring and long sleepy straight line.. especially on scorching day of afternoon

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 1 Thumb down 0
  • Ben Yap on May 08, 2017 at 2:08 pm

    on federal roads, it is hard to spot where the police is hiding to catch speedsters.

    at least on highway, we will know each time we approach a bridge.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • With all the road problems as claimed by bashers above, how does one speed above limit and not damage car/still alive?

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 2 Thumb down 0
    • Plus school speed limit 30kph, some rural folks riding kapchais without helmet & rear light, no properly insured vehicles on the road, agricultural transportation, children play at roadside etc, lembu resting on road shoulder and really close to the road, insufficient road light makes even driving at 60kph sometime post a life threatening issue.

      And yes, traffic police loves to hide on several spots. If you are familiar with kl-kelantan trip, you will know one specific area between lipis – merapoh (cant recall exact place, but there is long straight stretch road with school) where traffic police love to do saman ekor thing. I also kena on Sunday, driving at 50+kmh at 30kmh school speed limit.

      Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • Wazer Freak on May 08, 2017 at 3:38 pm

    If you a frequent user of Waze, the app does include federal route as an alternative for faster reach to the desired destination.

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 3 Thumb down 0
  • MinisterA: The death rate in road accidents is not satisfactory. We need to do somethin’.

    MinisterB: Why not we encourage the people to use our federal roads.

    MinisterA: Yes. Muahahaha…

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 6 Thumb down 0
  • Gaviny on May 08, 2017 at 9:23 pm

    Did he forget how many deaths has occurred from irresponsible drivers misjudge overtaking and head on collide with opposite traffic ?

    My experience 8 out of 10 times have seen overtaking on double line in blind corner and nearly killed myself and family

    Like or Dislike: Thumb up 4 Thumb down 0
 

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