GUA MUSANG, July 2 — City dwellers returning to the Federal capital today after spending the Aidiladha holidays in their hometowns in Kelantan had to endure long travel hours due to severe traffic congestion.
Even the normally three-hour journey from Kota Bharu to Gua Musang took five hours due to the sharp increase in the number of vehicles on the road.
Wan Noriani Wan Abdullah, 35, said she did not expect such heavy traffic today because she assumed that many people had returned to the city yesterday.
“But I was wrong when I got stuck in slow-moving traffic.
“I left Kota Bharu at 9am and arrived in Gua Musang at 2pm. I wanted to stop at the Rantau Manis Rest and Service (R&R) area, but it was full of people, so I decided to take a rest here (the Mutiara R&R area),” she said when met by reporters at the Mutiara R&R area, Tanah Putih today.
Checks at Jalan Gua Musang - Kuala Krai and Gua Musang - Kuala Lipis found that the high volume of vehicles heading to the capital city caused congestion on both routes.
Mohd Shakirin Mohd Nsaruddin, a 44-year-old mechanic, who was on his way back to Setapak, claimed that the traffic congestion prompted some drivers to cut the queue.
“Many drivers were confused and did not know that two lanes have merged into one in front of the Petronas petrol station at Persiaran Raya, Gua Musang, so many were jumping the queue and causing traffic congestion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Gua Musang district police chief Sik Choon Foo said that the number of vehicles on the roads had increased in comparison to the day before, resulting in severe congestion.
“Since yesterday, the police have taken various measures to ease traffic congestion,” he added.
— Bernama
