By Zaki Salleh
Teluk Intan: The West Coast Expressway (WCE) expects a surge in daily traffic reaching about 160,000 vehicles during the festive season.
This marks a 35 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
The significant rise is driven by the school holidays during the festive period, as well as the start of Ramadan, coinciding with the Chinese New Year celebration.
WCE Managing Director Lyndon Alfred Felix said the company has enhanced operational preparations to ensure users’ safety and comfort.
“We are seeing a significant upward trend in the number of users compared to 2025.
“This year, we are not only monitoring traffic, but also providing comfortable facilities for highway users,” he said.
He said this while speaking at the Road Safety and Awareness Campaign in conjunction with the Chinese New Year 2026 at the Teluk Intan WCE Toll Plaza.
The programme was launched by Perak Deputy Police Chief Mohammad Azlin Sadari.
According to Lyndon, various aspects have been considered, from ultra-fast EV charging hubs to safer rest zones for drivers and motorcyclists.
The aim is to ensure smooth and safe journeys for users travelling back to their hometowns.
“WCE is equipped with 400kW capacity EV charging facilities at Trong and Taiping Selatan toll plazas, as well as SAE and Assam Jawa, allowing EVs to be charged up to 80 per cent in less than 15 minutes.
“We have also provided 52 sheltered motorcycle zones complete with solar lighting to offer safe protection from rain and fatigue,” he said.
A total of six Rest and Service Areas (R&R) are fully operational, namely Sg Nyior, Bukit Kapar, Johan Setia and Sijangkang.
Another four R&R facilities are expected to open this year, namely Teluk Intan (southbound and northbound), Sg Wangi (southbound) and Ayer Tawar (northbound).
Lyndon added that all toll lanes at WCE toll plazas will be opened to facilitate transactions and ensure smooth traffic flow during peak hours.
He also advised highway users to download the WCE application to monitor traffic conditions and CCTV displays in real time.
