12km Traffic Congestion Along Pan Borneo Highway’s Jakar Stretch Caused by High Number of Vehicles, Lane Closure
SARIKEI (5 JUN): A massive 12-kilometre traffic congestion was reported along the Pan Borneo Highway, near the Jakar section yesterday (June 3). The traffic jam was primarily caused by a sudden surge in the number of vehicles and the closure of one lane for road upgrading works.
Sarikei District police chief Superintendent Aswandy Anis explained that the bottleneck effect resulted from the partial lane closure in the construction area.
“Following that, the police have worked to ease the flow of traffic in the affected area yesterday and this operation continues today,” he said in a news report by TVS today.
Superintendent Aswandy advised the public to exercise caution and patience while navigating through the affected area.
Yesterday, social media users shared images and videos depicting the unusual and severe traffic congestion along the stretch. The congestion was particularly notable as people were returning to cities and towns after the Gawai Dayak festive holidays.
Netizens reported significant traffic jams in front of SMK Sungai Paloh and after the Selalang junction, heading towards Jakar town from Betong. Vehicles were observed moving at a slow pace.
“The worst congestion so far, some had to urinate on the side of the road,” commented one Facebook user.
“Vehicles move very slowly from Jakar to the Selalang junction. This shouldn’t happen,” added another.
The public urged authorities to take appropriate measures to prevent such congestion in the future. Many questioned the decision to close one lane, especially during a period when a high number of vehicles was expected due to public holidays.
Several accidents were also reported along the Pan Borneo Highway on the same day, further complicating the situation.
