Peninsular Malaysia has one of the best road system in Asia. A
network of trunk roads links you to towns, villages and to many
recreation areas.
Malaysian roads are link to the Thai and Singapore road
systems.
Driving is economical as petrol prices is the
cheapest in South-East Asia and there are many car rental companies
offering competitive packages. When you travel between towns on
expressways, be prepared to pay toll charges. The best transport
option is the taxi or bus.
Malaysians have a fondness for cars and a family may own two
vehicles. Be ware of Malaysian drivers! – there are some rather
aggressive ones on the road. Drive slowly with caution along trunk
roads in Malaysian countryside, as villages or village kids and
animals may move suddenly onto roads.
The toll
expressway/
North-south or PLUS expressway
with two lanes runs through West
Malaysia
from Johor Bahru (Malaysia-Singapore border) in the south to Bukit
Kayu Hitam (Kedah) at the Malaysian-Thai border in the north.
There is a good system of trunk roads, that branches out to the
coastal areas, forest parks and highlands, covering areas from Padang Besar
(Thai-Malaysia border) to Johor Bahru (Malaysia-Singapore border)
ROADS AND EXPRESSWAYS
Plus
expressways (Toll motorway)
or North-south expresway
The Plus expressway runs from Bukit Kayu Hitam (Kedah) to Johor Bahru (Johor),
cuting states on the west coast of the Malaysian peninsular.
Payment mode at toll expressways: ‘Touch-N-Go’ cards or
cash cards for the toll are available at the offices beside major
toll kiosks. You have to go to their office to purchase a new card
but can update at certain toll plaza. Payment through Smart Tags is another option.
Touch 'N Go: 03-7628 5115
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Emergencies: PLUS’s Traffic Monitoring Centre (TMC)
operates 24 hours a day to assist with inquiries - PLUSLINE
1800-88-0000. Emergency
telephones are found every 2 km along the expressway. Other
vehicle emergency: Automobile
Association of Malaysia
(AAM)
1800-88-0808
Facilities (rest areas) are
provided every 25km or so. Some rest areas have food and drink
outlets, restaurants, petrol stations and a small surau (prayer room
for Muslims). Toilet facilities are usually clean.
East-West Highway of Peninsular
Malaysia
This highway runs from Kedah (from
Baling) through Perak into Kelantan and takes you to Kota Bahru. It
traverse the highland areas near the Thai-Malaysia border.
Highways in East Malaysia and
Borneo
East Malaysia (Sabah & Sarawak) has fewer roads but the main
highway,
the Trans-Borneo Highway runs from Kuching to all major cities in
Sarawak and into the state of Sabah through Brunei Darussalam.
See
Sarawak.
Trunk roads - Federal or State roads
Trunk road refers to the main road linking towns in
West Malaysia. This is the old main highway before
the toll expressway was built. All these roads are well paved (of
flexible pavements).
Roads within towns and linking towns are sometimes
referred as Federal or State roads. Be careful driving along these
roads as they cut through towns and villages.
These roads link you to ferry terminals to Penang Island, Langkawi,
Pangkor, Tioman, etc. It also links forest parks, fishing villages
and mountain resorts to major towns.
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DRIVING IN MALAYSIA
Driving
around
You
are required to have a Malaysian driver’s licence or an
international driver’s licence. Driving licences issued by
Singapore
and
Thailand
are recognised here. Be sure to remember that the safety belt is
mandatory and the use of cellular or mobile phones while driving is
not permitted.
(See
Malaysia Road map)
Speed limit on Malaysian Roads The speed limit on the North-south Plus expressway is 110 or 90
km/hr, look out for the signboards near the toll gate.
Heavy vehicles usually have to keep to 90km/hr or below along
expressway.
Along trunk roads (Federal/State roads) linking town, the limit is
usually 60 to 90km/hr.
Drive slowly and with caution, when
travelling along trunk roads between towns, there are many cyclists,
people and even animals on these roads! Motorist will have to bear
all responsibility for any accidents. At town centres speed
limit is usually 60km/hr and below.
Traffic
rules
Foreigners who wish to drive in Malaysia
must first understand the local traffic rules and road signs as many
notices and signs are in Malay. Speed limits are enforced along the
main highways and toll expressways. Speed limits on the Plus
Expressway are generally 110 km per hour and 90 km per hour on
certain stretches. Speed limits on trunk roads are usually between
60 to 90kmph. The law also requires all front seat passengers
to wear a safety belt. Ensure that
your driver's licence is accepted in Malaysia. It is advisable for
foreigners unfamiliar with Malaysian traffic not to drive.
Private Vehicles Many Malaysian own at
least a car or motorbike and you will definitely see many cars on
the road during the start and end of a working day.
Car
rental
Many international and local car rental companies offer a
wide choice of vehicles as well as attractive packages that include
hotel accommodation. Car rental
counters
are located at all international airports in Malaysia
or are contactable by phone.
Parking
The
charges for open air public parking in towns or city centres are
about 30-60 sen per half-hour of parking, but the mode of collection
varies. In Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru and other major towns,
parking fees are
often
more expensive.
If you park at the road side, you either to pay to a parking
attendant of drop your coins into a parking meter. Lookout for a
signboard that indicates the time of operation.
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BUSES AND
COACHES
The
bus
is the most inexpensive mode of travel in Malaysia
between states and it is terrific for the budget conscious.
Many Malaysian travel between major towns by bus. There are usually
two bus terminals in major towns, one for express buses (travel
between states or inter state coaches) and one for local buses.
Express
buses
Many express buses operate daily between major towns from
Johor Bahru/Singapore to Kangar/Bukit Kayu Hitam (and even up to
Hadyai, Thailand).
There
are various classes of express buses (all air-conditioned) ranging
from the economy 40-seater to the luxury/executive class 24-seat bus
(three seats per row). It is advisable to select an express bus that
stops at rest areas along the expressways as there are better and
cleaner toilet facilities and amenities at these rest kiosks. Most
express buses stop at Alor Setar, Sungai Petani, Butterworth, George
Town,
Ipoh,
Taiping, Kuala
Lumpur,
Seremban, Melaka, Johor Bahru, Kuantan, Kuala Terengganu and Kota
Bahru in peninsular Malaysia
.
There is
usually at least three to more express buses per day (morning,
afternoon and night) travelling from one major town to another on
the west coast of the peninsular.
Buses to Singapore and
Thailand There are
express buses, coaches and tour buses coming into Malaysia from
Thailand and
Singapore daily.
Daily buses to Singapore is available from all major town on the
west coast. From Melaka, there is a bus every hour going right into
Singapore. More buses are also available from Kuala Lumpur.
However, from
Thailand, daily buses may just end in
Kedah or
Penang. Check tour agents in the region.
(check
How to travel from
Thailand to Malaysia here)
Local buses takes
you within a major town or city and also to towns usually within the state.
This is the most economical mode of travel but waiting time for some
destinations may be long.
Bus fares per km are fixed by the government.
Buses from KLIA to the city
Airport coaches KLIA/KL/KLIA - coaches from and to KLIA and
KL
-
http://www.airportcoach.com.my/
City Liner - to KLIA from Seramban and Nilai
http://www.cityliner.com.my/
Skybus -
http://www.skybus.com.my/
TAXIS and Ride Hailing Services
Taxis
are readily available at airports and bus or railway terminals.
Taxis that operate between towns (referred to as ‘outstation’
taxis) usually slap a fixed fare on each passenger and will take
four passengers per trip. Taxis operating within the town or city
limits (‘local’ taxis) are usually available at designated taxi
stands/stations in small towns but in major cities, such as
Kuala
Lumpur
and
George
Town,
they can be hailed along any road. Although all local taxis are
fixed with meters, not all taxis will use them (except in KL or PJ).
Ask for the fare before you start your journey.
Ride Hailing Services -
Most Malaysians now prefer to travel place to place within the towns
and cities (or to nearby places) by e-hailing car services. The most
common, and availabel in most places in Malaysia is GRAB. Just
download the apps to these services and register to use. payment can
be by cash, card or e-wallet. Here are other ride-hailing
alternatives to Grab: MyCar, EzCab, MULA, DACEEE, Riding Pink,
etc.
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Express
Bus Companies
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Some of the bus companies in Malaysia and Singapore:
PLUS liner and Nice plusliner
& nice or
Plusliner Nice
Transnasional
(nationwide)
KTB - (transnasional &
plus)
Sri Maju
TranStar
Aeroline
First Coach (KL-Singapore)
Grassland Express Sg
- Singapore to Alor
Setar, SP
Airebus
- Singapore to KL
First Coach - KL-Singapore
Gunung Raya
konsortium.com
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