GEORGE TOWN: The Consumer Association of Penang (CAP) has urged the Road Transport Department (JPJ) to impose a ban on heavy vehicles during peak hours to reduce traffic congestion in Penang island.
Its president, Mohideen Abdul Kader proposed that heavy vehicles be banned from entering the main roads to the city centre from 6.30 am to 9.30 am and from 4.30 pm to 7.30 pm daily, as checks by the association indicated that the movement of construction and goods vehicles during peak hours in the morning and evening contributed to traffic congestion, especially in several roads on the island.
“Jalan Masjid Negeri and Jalan Scotland, are among the busiest in Penang (island) and the congestion is worsened as there are several schools along the route.
“The rise in vehicles in the city has caused severe delays with several motorists reporting that it took more than an hour to reach their destinations,” he said in a statement today.
A similar heavy vehicle ban was imposed in Kuala Lumpur since 2022 with the JPJ enforcing the ban on heavy vehicles with a gross vehicle mass of over 7,500 kilogrammes from entering the city centre during similar peak hours.
