PLUS reveals the best time to ‘balik kampung’ during Aidiladha

I know those celebrating are just itching to ‘balik kampung’ for Hari Raya Aidiladha this weekend—especially since most of us weren’t able to make it back during Hari Raya Aidilfitri due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). Now that it was announced that there’s no travel restrictions for the upcoming celebrations (unless you’re in Sarawak, Sarawak has introduced inter-district travel restriction), it’s very likely that the highways will be jammed during peak travel times.

For those using the PLUS highway, ELITE, or the LPT2 to ‘balik kampung’, PLUS has released a travel schedule for the best times to travel in order to avoid as much of the Aidiladha jam as possible. Here are the best times to get moving:

Best travel times during Aidiladha

Those from Kuala Lumpur/Selangor heading to Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Northern Perak and Johor are advised to travel before 10AM. While those heading from Kuala Lumpur/Selangor to other areas not mentioned can leave after 2PM. This applies if you’re planning to travel from 29-30 July 2020.

Those heading back to Kuala Lumpur/Selangor between 1-3 August 2020 are advised to travel before 9AM. This applies to those from Perlis, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Northern Perak, Johor, and anywhere else using the highway.

Mohd Yusuf Abdul Aziz, the Head of Operation for PLUS, also reminds travellers that we still need to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) during the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) and practice social distancing at rest stops. You should also avoid using cash transactions whenever possible and remember to reload your Touch ‘n Go card before you use the highway.

“For those heading north to Sungai Dua and Kedah, PLUS has recently been testing out the RFID system all the way towards Hutan Kampung, so you should prepare your Touch ‘n Go card. But if you already have RFID installed in your car, you would only need to make sure your e-Wallet has enough reloaded,” said Yusuf.

Pre-order your food at rest stops before you get there

PLUS has also announced a new way for you to have some food at rest stops safely without needing to line up at the stalls. There are 16 rest stops you can choose from, and you can look through them on the PLUS app (iOS, Android).

You can choose your chosen rest stop first, and then pick the food you want to order and click through for more info. You’ll be given more information including the time it takes for them to get the order ready for you, the name of the stall, how to pay, and how to order.

PLUS also advises travellers to contact them through Twitter (which you can also visit with their PLUS app) or through their toll free number—1800 88 0000 if they need more information. Using Waze or Google Maps can help with your journey, as well. You can also use their app to chat with their chatbot PUTRI.

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