Return of holidaymakers to city causes major congestion in Gua Musang

 

Vehicles on all routes leading out of Gua Musang were moving very slowly, resulting in unusually heavy congestion. - NSTP/PAYA LINDA YAHYA

GUA MUSANG: Several main routes leading out of Kelantan in this district have been experiencing unusually heavy congestion since about 5pm today.

Observations found that the Gua Musang–Kuala Krai, Gua Musang–Kuala Lipis and Gua Musang–Jeli roads heading towards Kuala Lumpur were facing severe congestion, with vehicles driven by out-of-state travellers seeking to leave the state following the end of the Christmas holiday period.

Road user Nur Shakira Sulaiman, 34, said the unusually heavy congestion on the Gua Musang–Jeli road towards Kuala Lipis caused her to take up to two and a half hours to reach her home, which is only seven kilometres away.

She said many vehicles belonging to out-of-state travellers were using routes in the district as the main exit roads from the state after the Christmas holiday ended.

"Usually, the journey home from my workplace only takes 10 minutes. However, today the journey took up to two and a half hours.

"I left the office at about 6pm and only arrived home at 8.30pm in Taman Saujana Harmoni," she said.

Another road user, Mohd Haikal, 30, said traffic was moving slowly from Bandar Utama Gua Musang (BUGM), with congestion worsening after the Bendahara Junction along the Gua Musang–Kuala Lipis road.

He said vehicles on all routes leading out of the district were moving very slowly, resulting in unusually heavy congestion.

"I was informed that congestion is also occurring at the border between Gua Musang district and Merapoh, Pahang, towards Kuala Lumpur due to an increase in vehicles passing through this district.

"From BUGM to the Gua Musang–Merapoh border, the congestion is estimated to stretch for more than 20 kilometres," he said. - NST