Traffic: it’s a constant force in KL, and can’t ever be completely escaped. But with the month of Ramadan, traffic patterns are changing as many people start and end work early for buka puasa at 7.30pm. Ramadan bazaars also add a further element into the mix of seasonal congestion.
Using the live traffic feed on Google Maps, the Poskod.MY tracked the traffic patterns in the Klang Valley over a few days to answer the eternal question: When can I leave the office? Click the animated GIFs below to see the maps in more detail.
City Centre – Bangsar and Chow Kit
KL is a mad place to be during rush hour traffic and this GIF charts the traffic flow for the city centre on 2 July. Heavy traffic slowly starts around 3.30pm at areas like Jalan Damansara, Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Sungai Besi. It peaks by 5pm when inner city roads which crosses the city centre like Jalan Imbi and Jalan Sultan Ismail are obviously clogged up as people leave for home. The congestion continues on until 7.15pm before it starts tapering off.
Subang Jaya
Slow moving traffic seems to start from the main roads such as Jalan Puchong and KESAS around 3.45pm. The traffic gradually picks up pace at 5.30pm and becomes pretty congested within minutes, especially on ELITE. This lasts for about two hours with remotely heavy traffic flow within the USJ 6, 9 and 10 areas as there are many commercial lots with eateries in those neighbourhood. Traffic eases out by 7.15pm but remains heavy near Seksyen 21 and USJ 12.
Taman Tun Dr Ismail
Signs of slow-moving traffic appear around 4.15pm at certain roads in TTDI. This could be attributed to the congestion created by Pasar Ramadhan stalls, especially at roads like Jalan Datuk Sulaiman which passes near the area. Traffic flow changes quickly within minutes and peaks around 5.15pm. NKVE, SPRINT and LDP are predictably clogged up. This continues on until 7pm, when only the main highways like LDP still show signs of heavy traffic before clearing off around 8pm.
Petaling Jaya
Much traffic cuts through Petaling Jaya even during non-peak hours. Traffic appears to be constantly slow-moving along parts of the LDP and Federal Highway as early as 3pm. Around 4.15pm, this has extended to cover most parts of the major highways, including NKVE. By 5pm, it is turning into a hotbed of very bad traffic as most people start leaving work. Major roads like Jalan Universiti and Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang and even NSECL seems to be choked up.The traffic gradually eases around 7.30pm, but even then LDP is still jammed.
Words by Lyn Ong, GIFs by the Poskod.MY team.
