On Feb 24, I was driving from Kuala Lumpur to Kuantan when I encountered a traffic jam which could have been avoided.

I started my journey at about 1pm. The traffic was heavy as usual but cars were moving smoothly.

However, after the Maran rest and recreation area, traffic came to a standstill.

Only one lane was in use and we crawled along at a snail’s pace for almost two hours.

My legs were cramping and I am sure other drivers were suffering too.

We tried to be patient, thinking the gridlock was due to a serious accident.

However, when I reached the junction to Seri Jaya, I saw that the cause of the jam was workers resurfacing the road.

It was very bad timing to do this maintenance work on a Saturday afternoon when there is usually heavy traffic as many people travel to the East Coast each weekend.

They should have carried out maintenance work from Monday to Thursday or scheduled the work in the early morning and not during peak hours.

I hope the authorities will take note so that travellers can have a more pleasant journey in the future.

DATUK GEORGE KP CHEW

Kuantan, Pahang