How to avoid caught in traffic jam in Kuala Lumpur

As Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia becomes one of the thriving metropolis in Asia Pacific, it has become a focal point not only for locals but also foreigners from all around the world seeking opportunities in this thriving city. However this influx of population leads to huge number of vehicles moving around the city which leads to severe traffic jam which plagues the city for decades. Traffic congestion problems is already a routine headaches for the local driving there for years, although the congestion situation is not as bad as neighbouring cities such as Bangkok, Jakarta, and Manila. Solutions are still being sought to tackle this problem which is remain to be seen in many years. So when you travel around Kuala Lumpur, if you want to escape the nightmare of traffic congestion, follow these effective steps:

a) Use rail transport

Kuala Lumpur is served by several rail transport service such the Kelana Jaya Line, Ampang-Seri Petaling Line, KL Monorail, KTM Komuter, KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit, and in the future, the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit. With such an abundant to rail transport to travel between towns and suburbs, it is a perfect way to escape from the traffic jam on the road, provided your working location is near any railway station and you know which station to head to for work and going back home. It goes without saying that rail transport is much convenient, cheap, and eco-friendly at the same time. With KL-ites utilizes the rail transport less than Japan and India, it’s time for many to realize the need of using rail transport to escape the nightmare of traffic congestion. Hopefully when the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit system completed by 2020 later, the rail transport utilization by KL-ites phenomenon will change soon.

b) Use public road transport

For public road transport, the bus service is most advisable. Bus service servicing Kuala Lumpur area includes RapidKL, and Metrobus. Bus transport is also a good way for transport sharing, provided you understand the bus route and the waiting time. For now, this method only works when the traffic is less congested and you’re planning to take the bus early because most of the time the bus service in Kuala Lumpur is still below par in term of standard of punctuality.

c) Use Waze applications

Foe those driving to work and driving back home, it is advisable for drivers to use Waze applications on their smartphone. Waze not only functions as direction planner, but also shows the drivers the best route to use to avoid caught in traffic congestion. Waze is also a reliable tool to estimate the estimate time of arrival and distance to be travelled in relative to current traffic conditions. Of course try to start drive outside peak hours by understanding the period when the road traffic congestion were the highest which will be discussed in next segment.

d) Fully understand peak hour conditions

Fully understands the peak hour periods is crucial for those who works in downtown Kuala Lumpur. Normally in working days, the peak hours is from 6am until 9am in the morning and 5pm until 8pm in the afternoon. For Fridays which is a prayer day for the Muslims, the peak hour can start from 11pm until 3pm. Whereas for weekends nighttime is the most congested time on the road as many people headed for shopping. It is best for an individual to stay out from driving during the peak hours and instead spent some time having meal or relaxing break near his workplace after long days of work. For shopping why not travel by rail transport instead as most shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur is accessible by rail.

e) Listen to traffic updates

Every day on the weekdays the radio will broadcast the traffic conditions on the congested roads and highways so that drivers has the latest update on the traffic conditions. By understanding the traffic conditions, drivers can know which road and highways to be avoided as it is congested. Nowadays even smartphone applications can also provide information on the traffic condition and congested area.