CNY 2025: 2.4 Million Vehicles Expected to Enter Penang

PDRM has estimated that over 2.4 million vehicles will enter Penang for this year’s Chinese New Year holidays.

The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) has estimated that over 2.4 million vehicles will be entering Penang for this year’s Chinese New Year festivities, Bernama reports.

According to Penang police chief Datuk Hamzah Ahmad, around 200,000 vehicles on average are expected to travel in and out of the state daily, with the volume increasing as the Chinese New Year celebration approaches on Jan 29.

“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,” Datuk Hamzah spoke to Bernama last weekend.

The eight identified ‘blackspot’ areas are Jalan Air Itam Paya Terubong and Lebuhraya Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu in the Northeast district, as well as Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and Jalan Tun Dr. Awang in the Southwest district.

As for the mainland Penang districts, Jalan Teluk Air Tawar to Jalan Bagan Luar are the identified areas for Seberang Perai Utara, Jalan Perusahaan Perai, and the North-South Expressway (NSE) in Seberang Perai Tengah, and Jalan Besar Simpang Ampat in the Seberang Perai Selatan district.

Hamzah also said that police officers will be stationed at these ‘blackspots’ and high-traffic hotspots to manage vehicular traffic around the clock.

Besides PDRM, the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has also launched its own school holiday operation (Ops Cuti Sekolah), focusing on enforcement and traffic control at key tourist and high-traffic areas to ensure smooth traffic flow.

According to MBPP’s Enforcement and Public Education Permanent Committee acting chairman Shafiz Rahim Raja, among other traffic management initiatives taken by the city council are “Ops Payung, as well as utilising the closed-circuit cameras as “Intelligent Eyes” to monitor and report traffic congestion points. On top of that, MBPP is also implementing a road closure for the entry lane from Lebuh Light to Jalan Padang Kota Lama (facing Town Hall) starting from 6 AM daily, from Jan 18 to Feb 16, to ensure smooth traffic flow exiting Padang Kota.

Additionally, MBPP, PDRM, and the Road Transport Department (JPJ) are all conducting patrols and traffic management at other areas prone to congestion during this festive season, such as Persiaran Gurney, Pulau Tikus, and areas around the KOMTAR and Persiaran Bayan Indah, to name a few.

Source: Bernama