According to UiTM trainers, motorists in the Klang Valley spend 44 hours in traffic jams every month.

According to Ismaniza Ismail, senior lecturer Ismaniza Ismail, Klang Valley drivers spend at least 44 hours a month getting their vehicles stuck in traffic. Talking to Harian Metro StationShe said most employees are forced to spend at least an hour or two in their car during their daily commute to and from work.

“Imagine how much time is wasted every day due to traffic jams. Imagine, every morning, an employee gets up early to go to work and comes home early to avoid traffic jams. In spite of [he or she] Working a full eight hours a day, there’s still an hour or two ‘lost’ due to the journey,” he said, Ismaniza said.

This can affect productivity costs, she adds. “If the average hourly wage is RM7, multiplying it by two hours and 22 working days, the loss in productivity is estimated at RM308 a month,” she explains. The stress arising from being stuck in traffic can also affect physical, emotional and mental health of individuals, which can affect the work environment, she noted.

The problem of worsening traffic congestion has become a hot topic since the end of the year, with many calling for the government solves the problem. Ismaniza suggests flexible working hours as an effective initiative worth considering to combat congestion and encourage productivity.

“Flexible work week offers working day option as is the case in many developed countries or working from home are also alternatives that can increase work productivity as there is less risk of congestion, ” she said. “However, this does not apply to certain professions such as teachers, who have no option to go out to work and also those who take their children to school on the street,” she added.

Upgrading the quality of existing public transport services with a wider network of roads, Ismaniza said, is another effort that needs to be made, and these services must be efficient.

For now, she said motorists will have to be wise to deal with the problem to the best of their ability while they await action from the government. “If you have to travel [by driving] since there is no other option you will have to make sacrifices (time, cost) but I think that’s still acceptable.