Around 2.4 million vehicles are estimated to enter Penang during the Chinese New Year holiday season this year, Bernama has reported.
An average of 200,000 vehicles are expected to enter and exit the state daily, and the traffic volume will increase as Chinese New Year approaches on Wednesday, January 29, said Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad.
“The traffic volume is expected to reach its peak beginning next week as the Chinese New Year nears. So far, the police have identified eight blackspot areas where accidents frequently occur in Penang,” he said.
Areas identified as accident blackspots are Jalan Air Itam Paya Terubong and Lebuhraya Tun Dr Lim Chong in the Northeast district, as well as Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Tun Dr Awang in the Southwest district.
The identified areas are Jalan Teluk Air Tawar to Jalan Bagan Luar for the northern Seberang Perai Utara region, Jalan Perusahaan Perai and the North-South Expressway in Seberang Perai Tengah, and Jalan Besar Simpang Ampat in Seberang Perai Selatan. Police officers will be stationed at blackspots and high-traffic hotspots around the clock to manage traffic flow, Hamzah said.
Meanwhile, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has launched a school holiday operation to focus on enforcement and traffic control at key tourist and high-traffic areas, said MBPP enforcement and public education permanent committee acting chairman Shafiz Rahim Raja.
The city council has put Ops Payung in place at several locations, including on Penang Road from January 18 to February 16 from 11am to 5pm, at Bukit Bendera in two areas from January 25 to February 16 from 12pm to 6pm, and in Ayer Itam from January 29 to February 5 from 4pm to 11pm, according to the report.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP), police and the road transport department (JPJ) will also conduct patrols and traffic management in other areas prone to congestion during the school holiday season, including Persiaran Gurney, Pulau Tikus, areas around Komtar and Persiaran Bayan Indah (Queensbay Mall), the report added.
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