KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 8 — With rising traffic volumes and frequent incidents putting greater pressure on highway operators, a new smart traffic control centre covering three major Klang Valley highways was launched today to enhance road safety and enable faster responses through real-time monitoring.

The centre will oversee operations along the Sungai Besi Expressway (BESRAYA), New Pantai Expressway (NPE) and Kajang-Seremban Highway (LEKAS), all managed by IJM Corporation Berhad.

Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said past data showed that 85.4 per cent of traffic accidents on tolled expressways last year were attributed to human factors, while the remainder involved vehicle and environmental factors.

He said his ministry, together with the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), was committed to further strengthening the development of smart expressways to provide users with a safer and more seamless journey experience.

“Based on data from the Malaysian Highway Road Accident Database System (MHROADS), a total of 26,675 traffic accidents were recorded on tolled expressways in 2025, including 839 fatality cases.

“With the increase in vehicles and growing user needs, our expressways need to evolve from physical infrastructure into smart mobility ecosystems that are safer, smarter and more efficient,” he said in his speech at the control centre’s officiating ceremony at the BESRAYA Loke Yew Toll Plaza here.

With more than six million vehicles using Peninsular Malaysia’s expressway network daily, Nanta said the federal government, through the Works Ministry, was committed to expediting the implementation of the Intelligent Transport System (ITS) under the Malaysia ITS Roadmap 2030.

Among the key elements of the roadmap is the adoption of smart mobility solutions that leverage real-time data analytics to optimise traffic management and user experience.

At present, LLM’s Traffic Management Centre conducts round-the-clock traffic surveillance through 873 integrated closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and 278 variable message signs (VMS), enabling earlier incident detection and the timely dissemination of information to road users while expediting response efforts and traffic flow recovery.

Meanwhile, IJM’s AI-powered smart expressway traffic control centre integrates 144 CCTV cameras, 87 Video Incident Detection System units, 35 Automatic Number Plate Recognition units and 22 VMS units for the three aforementioned expressways.

Nanta said transforming existing expressways into smart highways was a collective responsibility involving the ministry, concessionaires, enforcement agencies, emergency responders and technology providers.

He then urged other highway concessionaires to adopt a similar approach in their traffic management operations to improve incident detection and enable a more effective and streamlined response.

“The use of technology does not necessarily mean replacing human labour; instead, it should serve as a catalyst for increased productivity and the creation of new employment opportunities requiring specialised skills.

“Our goal is clear in ensuring that the technology integrated can tangibly benefit the people, particularly in terms of safety, efficiency and overall journey experience,” he said, adding that IJM had assured him its latest move would not result in any displacement of its existing workforce.

Separately, a road safety programme using virtual reality (VR) technology was also launched to raise awareness among school students.

IJM Group chief executive and managing director Datuk Lee Chun Fai said the programme was part of a collaboration between LLM and the Royal Malaysia Police to promote safer motorcycle riding habits among students.

“The VR programme is targeted at school students, as 80 per cent of fatalities involve motorcyclists,” he said.