Motorists are urged to plan early return trips as West Coast Expressway expects heavy traffic towards Klang Valley this weekend with CNY end and Ramadan start.

KUALA LUMPUR: The West Coast Expressway (WCE) is urging motorists to carefully plan their return journeys this weekend.

Traffic is expected to surge heavily towards the Klang Valley as Chinese New Year festivities conclude, school holidays end, and Ramadan begins.

The heaviest congestion is anticipated from mid-afternoon until late evening on inbound routes. Daily vehicle volumes on the WCE are projected to exceed 160,000 during this period.

“Unlike the more spread-out outbound wave earlier in the holidays, this return journey is expected to be more concentrated,” WCE said in a statement. It attributed the concentration to the rush to resume routines ahead of Ramadan’s early days.

Motorists are advised to plan ahead and depart early in the morning where possible. This strategy is recommended to avoid the peak afternoon and evening congestion periods.

Travellers should download the WCE App for real-time traffic updates and live CCTV feeds. The operator also urged all road users to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy, observe speed limits, and wear seatbelts.

WCE reminded motorcyclists that the emergency lane is strictly for emergencies. It is not an exclusive motorcycle lane for general use.

Electric vehicle users can recharge at high-capacity stations along the route. These are located at the Trong and Taiping Selatan toll plazas in Perak, and the SAE and Assam Jawa toll plazas in Selangor.

In case of emergencies, travellers can contact the WCE infoline at 1700-81-6600 for immediate assistance.

 The Sun Malaysia