A better traffic dispersal mechanism needs to be put in place after the Sungai Besi toll plaza to avoid the 'bottle neck' effect, especially during festive periods.

Road Safety Department task force member Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Idrus, who is also the principal researcher for the 'Smart Driving Reasearch Centre' at Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, said a study on the cause of the traffic congestion at the Sungai Besi toll plaza during the start and end of a festive period should be carried out, so that better 'counter measures' could be planned in future.

"In Kuala Lumpur, during the start of a festive holiday, there are massive traffic jams, as all routes, be it to the north, south or east, go through Kuala Lumpur or the Klang Valley. This requires more effective traffic flow management and better monitoring," he said.

Mohd Idrus, however, said the situation was much better in Kuala Lumpur this year during the "Op Selamat" operation, with reduced accident rates and better traffic flow.

"This is commendable, as the integrated efforts of the RTD (Road Transport Department) and SPAD (Land Public Transport Department) resulted in better compliance with traffic rules, especially in terms of using the emergency lanes and not exceeding the speed limit.

"The biggest (improvement) was that traffic congestion was reduced compared to previous years," he added.

-- BERNAMA