How Do You Handle Parking Woes & Traffic Jams in KL?

Parking Woes & Traffic Jams in KL


Day in, day out we drive our car to work and back. At least that's what I do. Mondays through Fridays, and on weekends I bring the family out to shopping malls. My work place is quite a distance away from home, hence I'm usually stuck in traffic for a good hour or so during morning rush hour. If there's any lorry breakdowns, or accidents along the way, the horrors! 

This is my everyday driving experience, traffic in KL!
This is my everyday driving experience, traffic in KL! 

Stress level increased!


If you're like me, based in KL, then you know how bad the fight for a parking lot in shopping malls on a weekend can get! I've always pondered the thought of actually just dropping off the wife and kids at the shopping malls, and going somewhere else so as to avoid the hassle of finding for parking at the mall. Then I realize, there's a traffic jam outside as well! OMG. 

I want my 152 hours back!!
I want my 152 hours back!!

Traffic jams, and now I have to fight for a parking spot?!


Just recently I stumbled upon this fun fact from Uber Malaysia, or not so fun if you've experienced it personally like I do. Did you know, every KL car owner spends 152 hours a year looking for parking. 152 hours!!! That's nearly a lifetime, I could have done so many better things with the lost time. 

How big is 9 KLCCs anyway?


It's no surprise that KL needs a space the size of 9 KLCCs to park all its cars! There's never enough parking lots everywhere. Even with priority parkings for shopping malls, or seasonal parkings for some office buildings, I always find trouble getting parking, and spend way too much time going round and round, and round and round..

What If There's a Way Around This?

It's just going to get worse
It's just going to get worse

I've always pondered over how this can be resolved. What do you think? By 2022, peak hour congestion will be 4.5 times worse. What if we have the option and power to make things better? Reducing the number of cars on the road seems to be a viable option. Less cars mean less traffic and more time for what we love.

Looking forward to the day the streets can be as empty as this!
Looking forward to the day the streets of KL can be as empty as this!


But WAIT, does that mean I will be without a car? Come to think of it, I did considered the option of not owning a car anymore due to the massive headache of being stuck in the jam and time wasted looking for parking daily. Going for restaurant reviews will be so much easier if I don't have to worry about looking for a parking spot. Food for thought yes? Let me know what you think in the comments below! 


Comments

  1. Thank goodness I do not live in KL!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suituapui, you are so lucky! I have to make a living, hence been in KL for the past decade or so.

      Delete
  2. KL is pedestrian friendly! We went around the city walking around with kids for almost a week and didn't need a car or parking space. 🤗Yes, maybe you should consider going careless.
    Baby steps.. maybe carpooling? 😃

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Turknoy,
      Haha! yes, I have been seriously considering going car-less. But then the public transport here isn't exactly top notch. ><"

      Delete
  3. I use public transport often and it way more convenience eventhough sometime it maybe more exspensive..but ok lah..no need to think about parking..haha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shamiera,
      true also.. the traffic jam and hassle of looking for parking is just too stressful. Plus driving the car and stuck in jam meaning more $$ wasted on petrol..

      Delete
  4. I hate stuck in a jam & look for parking spots too!!! I never know I wasted so much time just to look for parking spot.

    xx
    Puiyeesss

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pui Yee,
      haha! I didn't know too, until I stumbled upon these facts. OMG, now I feel like not driving anymore :D

      Delete
  5. I just came back from getting stuck in traffic jam LOL
    We need a flying car....hahaha

    tallpiscesgirl

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Charmaine,
      Count me in for a flying car! I need one too :)

      Delete
  6. Hmmm bila jalan jem...penunggang motosikal seperti saya pun letih nak menyelit sana sini..tambahan lagi berulang alik dari ampang ke sg buloh..aarghh sangat memenatkan

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Idayu,
      eh? Saya pun duduk kat Sg Buloh, adakala naik motosikal gak ke KL. haha..

      Delete
  7. public transportation in KL is there, however, not everyone is fond to use them as it doesn't go everywhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Andrew,
      I am one of those who are extremely NOT fond of the bad traffic every day. Haha.

      Delete
  8. I live in the third largest city in the U.S.A! I know a thing or two about this hahaha
    Great Post Issac (:

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sweet Saidy,
      Hahaha, you can relate as well ya. I would love to visit USA one of these days.

      Delete
  9. Haha. This is one of the reasons why I did not even think about getting work in KL. So jam everywhere!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Felicia,
      What to do, sometimes KL has the best opportunities to earn money, so more and more people come to KL.

      Delete
  10. My stress level increase, especially stuck in traffic jam and I m late for my class. It took like forever. It was time wasting, sometime I prefer monorel or LRT

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emy,
      I think my stress level has gone off the roof! haha, soon I may let my car rest at home and start taking Uber. :)

      Delete
  11. It'll not be as stressed if you're with a company. Car pool whenever you can, I'd suggest. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Najlaa,
      True! I usually carpool with the wife, but she sleeps most of the time! hahaha.. so basically I'm stuck driving alone.

      Delete
  12. I have never experienced such a stress before so i don't know what it feel like to be stuck in traffic. i try as much as possible to stay away from congested city like Lagos.. the same experience you are having is the same thing people who live in lagos are having too but its not the same with us over here in coal city, Enugu.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oyibo,
      Oh wow, let me google up your city Enugu. It must be so nice to be away from the high stress of traffic jams.

      Delete
  13. I live in Bangalore and know a thing or tow about parking and traffic woes. Your tips and illustrations are wonderfully useful. Keep em coming!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sreekar,
      Thank you for your feedback :) Appreciate the nice words. I'm hoping to do a change into how I handle parking woes and traffic jams in KL, Malaysia :)

      Delete
  14. 152 hours!!!??? i guess we can play dota with that amounnt of time. to be a pro amature.. hahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Taufulou,
      Haha, dota eh.. I wait for you to be pro amateur soon!

      Delete
  15. I always use uber when I lived in KL. it's more convenient plus ma and my friends share rides. But the real solution to traffic is improvement of mass transport system, as long as mass transport is not fixed, people will just resort to using their own cars. Actually compared to my country, KL has a pretty nice mass transport system, yet it is still traffic. So imagine what it's like in my country.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Francis,
      you're right, I think Uber is a really good choice! Where are you from?

      Delete
  16. Definitely agree with you. The road is getting worse especially the road via kepong and sungai buloh. Perhaps things get better after the MRT constructions.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amelie,
      I hope things get better too! haha, MRT construction really causes a lot of inconvenience, but in the future, they will be damn awesome!

      Delete
  17. These are really useful tips. Stuck in traffic is such a stressful situation, Including the Parking Woes. That's why it is better to use public transportation to avoid this two stressful situation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Shub,
      You're so right. The stress I get from being stuck in traffic daily is just too much.

      Delete
  18. I always use public transport when I am in KL. Driving in KL is really not for me when I don't even like to drive in Ipoh! Luckily, KL is very well connected with public transportation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Emily,
      yay for public transport! Now I'm considering letting my car rest at home while I uber everywhere. hehe

      Delete
  19. I hate all those parking and traffic problems.. so I take bus, mrt and lrt... or grab... hahahah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Miera,
      Me too! Super hate! haha.. the joys of owning my own car is now a distant memory.

      Delete
  20. I want my 152 hours back too - not mentioning the RM that flies with the parking space too. I do not mind not using my car if the public transport is ever dependable hahaha

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rawlins,
      Nowadays parking rates are too expensive.. imagine RM5/hour at KLCC. Argh!

      Delete
  21. KL kalau jem, habislah. Sakit kepala. Tapi itulah kalau nak pergi mana2 senang sebab bawa kereta sendiri. Tapi boleh cuba naik MRT lagi berbaloi dari cari parking kat KL.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Qisstiera,
      betul juga, I hari2 pun sakit kepala dalam jam.. Nak cuba uber la lepas ni. hehe

      Delete
  22. Dulu saya dibesarkan di KL. Tak banyak kereta time tuh. Banyak bas mini lagi. Jem pun jarang. Tapi sekarang ni, memang jem je memanjang. Parking pun satu masalah jugak. Nasib baik dah balik kampung. Hehehhe... Seeloknya naik perkhidmatan awam la ye.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Suliana,
      Owh, yep, zaman dulu2 memang kurang kereta atas jalan. :) Mana kampung Suliana sekarang?

      Delete
  23. Memang stress time pagi kadang tue terlewat bangun pegi keja kena hadap trafic jem dgn lampu isyarat pun boleh tahan punya banyak

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cik Cappuccino,
      Alamak.. tu kenapa bangun lewat pulak. haha

      Delete
  24. I rather took MRT/LRT/Komuter than driving in KL, the road will be haywire especially when its rainy day...terrible u know..parking also damn expensive...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amanda,
      Yes, it makes our brain haywire too, and we wonder why so many road bullies on the road nowadays. lol

      Delete
  25. I work in KL. I always put condition to my employer for parking provided if possible. Parking in KL??? Like hell...hahaha but I can't imagine myself without car. conflict, right?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cindyrina,
      Yes, very conflicted. Oh noo...
      I'm thinking of getting myself some wings to fly.

      Delete
  26. happen to me 2 years ago.. drive all the way to work stuck at traffic mrr2 from cheras - batu caves- cheras.. sometimes almost 3 1/2 hours i stuck.. hahaaa.. if ada hari raya or CNY lagi laa.. macam balik Johor u know...so stress

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yoorin,
      OMG, that's a long time to be stuck in a jam.

      Delete
  27. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  28. I hate traffic jam. Hari-hari hadap traffic jam even duduk Bangi & kerja di Cyberjaya. Sangat stress.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Afizah,
      hehe, masa untuk tukar tempat kerja? :P

      Delete
  29. Thank god now we have more options to such as Grab and Uber instead of driving stressfully through the jam... but then, the fact is, we should encourage the use of public transport instead of driving unless it's really necessary

    ReplyDelete
  30. I have already used to the traffic so no issue. soemtimes yawning while drive only haha

    Click click,
    Thestepheny-Yesnobabe

    ReplyDelete
  31. Seriously fed up with heavy traffic as I'm using a manual car omg hahaha. But now prefer to use uber when go to event. Malas nak drive dah XD

    ReplyDelete
  32. Serious mmg tension dengan jam dan susah cari parking. Now kalau ke Kl mmg ambil Uber atau Grab aje, walau dalam jam tapi org lain bawak dan tak payah pikir nak cari parking..:D

    ReplyDelete
  33. Lucky me nit staying in KL. My friends yang woking di KL pun nowadays ramai yang dah guna public transport..Uber...Grab...senang dan tak peelu fikir tentang parking and jem. Me juga kalau ke KL just park the car kat hotel dan guna public transport.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I prefer naik public transport. Sebab tak stress pikir trafik jem dan parking. Hahaha

    ReplyDelete
  35. I sold my car after decide come to KL... lolz.. cos I know KL is now much convenient and I can even use Grab car to anywhere I want.. Avoid wasting time to search parking

    Racheal

    ReplyDelete
  36. Betul itu, pernah sekali itu, hampir sejam mencari parking... tak termasuk kes, blah terus bila lama sangat cari parking, tapi xjumpaaaaaaaa

    ReplyDelete
  37. Tinggal di area suburban taklah terlalu stress macam di KL.
    Nak pegi kerja, last minute pun masih sempat punch in on time hihi

    ReplyDelete
  38. I actually would love to not drive because I am just that lazy...but then again getting to where I want to be without spending that much money kinda lessens my burdens, financial wise. but of course certain occasions getting a ride would be nice..especially if i need to get into KL itself..

    ReplyDelete
  39. Luckily I am not the one who always drives around. Normally just my hubby fetch me around, if meet up with friends I will prefer to take public transport.

    ReplyDelete

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