Raya Rush: JPJ Steps Up Bus Inspections, Car Service Requests Surge
The West Coast Expressway is anticipating 140,000 vehicles daily based on past festive trends.
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With less than a week left of Ramadan, everyone is gearing up to balik kampung this coming weekend.
Every vehicle from large public carriers to privately-owned cars are going through all the safety checks and services this week.
As we all know, the annual Hari Raya rush is going to fill up interstate roads and safety must be a main priority to ensure everyone gets to their hometowns safe and sound.
500 buses inspected, 11 found not road-worthy
More than 500 express buses were inspected by the Road Transport Department (JPJ) as part of the ongoing pre-Hari Raya Aidilfitri (HRA) 2025 Special Operation which began on 17 March.
According to local news daily Malay Mail, transport minister Anthony Loke said the inspection, focused on buses at bus terminals and depots nationwide.
He added that the pre-HRA Operation on buses involved carrying out checks on engines, tyres, braking systems, and other technical aspects.
“Through the operation, JPJ identified 11 buses as being not road-worthy and notices of prohibition were issued immediately,” he said.
Motorists rush to get their vehicles ready for the long haul home
Service centers across the nation are getting a surge of car owners bringing their vehicles in for servicing to get them road-ready for the balik kampung exodus.
The Star interviewed several mechanics and workshop owners who say they are expecting an influx of service requests from regular customers.
One mechanic, Mohd Azrai Mad Rasid, who runs a car servicing centre in Taman Sri Manja said “We’re definitely seeing an increase in demand. Most customers have already booked their slots, so we have fewer walk-ins as we prioritise pre-booked appointments,” he said.
Foo Khei Wang, the owner of a service centre in Seremban, warned that neglecting vehicle checks increases the risk of breakdowns on long journeys.
“At the very least, check the radiator, battery, and tyres. If they’re in good condition, there’s no need to replace them. Otherwise, the workshop will recommend necessary replacements,” Foo said.
West Coast Expressway is expecting 140,000 vehicles daily
The projection follows past trends during festive seasons, including Chinese New Year, Deepavali, and Christmas, which saw average daily traffic (ADT) between 130,000 and 150,000 vehicles, New Straits Times reported.
Syed Mohammed Idid, the General Manager for Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Engagement at West Coast Expressway said the expected increase is due to completion of several sections of the highway, which have significantly improved connectivity.
Meanwhile, highways under Plus Malaysia Bhd is anticipating more than two million vehicles this coming Raya season.
The highway operator’s chief operating officer Datuk Zakaria Zabidi said 2.2 million vehicles are expected on the main Plus highways, such as the North-South Expressway (NSE). Another 70,000 vehicles are expected on the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT2).
He noted that the traffic would be heavy on peak days just before the holidays, from 27 to 29 March, and again after the holidays from 4 to 6 April.
Festive season traffic is no fun, but having your vehicle checked and timing the journey back to your kampung well is going to save you from a lot of headaches.
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