Ramadan Traffic

There is a total traffic breakdown in Malaysia every once a year, for an entire month due to Ramadan -- the fasting month before the Muslim new year.

The traffic built up for several reasons:
1. Typically during fasting month Muslims get off work earlier (30mins - 1 hour) before the normal working hour. So by the time the normal rush hour comes, the road is already filled with cars. (In case you wonder, Malaysia has more than 60% of Muslim populations.)

2. There are lots of temporary food bazaar set up for the entire month for people to buy food on their way home. This usually takes place in some empty field or common carparks, so people park their cars all over the places to get into the bazaar.

3. The government has been expanding the residential areas without upgrading the roads. Public transports routes and stations are not planned properly.

4. Flash flood whenever rain visits, pouring or drizzling.

My normal one way journey between home and office takes about 20 mins with smooth traffic. During this month, it takes 4 times longer. I could do 2 round trips with those traffic time and petrol wasted.

Driving during this time of the year is never easy, even the motorcyclists who drives between the cars are experiencing jam. Though I get to have a longer personal time in the car, but I don't enjoy stepping on the brake from the moment I leave my office (the traffic jam starts the moment we leave the car park), guarding my lane while the rest of the drivers are trying to cut queue on the road exits/entrances etc.

You might think highway should help solving the issue. Ironically, the highway is as bad as any other places, most looks like a gigantic open carpark. The traffic builds up before and after the toll booths.

Listening to the radio doesn't help at all, the traffic reports basically tells you the entire traffic system in the country has melted.

These phenomena subside everyday (if without rainning) around 7pm, when most of the Muslims have reached home preparing to break fast. The entire city center would look like a ghost town, you can hardly find more than 10 cars within your 500m vicinity while driving.

The flood of traffic would slowly get back to normal in about 8.30pm, when people have finished their meal and going home.

Also, during the peak hours, until after the break fast, do not attempt to visit any restaurants, because car park is precious at this time, and table seats are mostly taken as well.

Despite all the delicious Ramadan food offered across the country, I would still pass due to the reasons above.