Motorists cry foul over Penang highway ramp’s sudden 40km/h speed limit

KUALA LUMPUR, July 8 — Motorists are voicing frustration over a sharp reduction in the speed limit on a relatively new ramp linking Jalan Tunku Kudin to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway towards the Penang Bridge, with many claiming they have been caught by a speed camera after being given too little distance to slow down.

According to The Star the speed limit drops abruptly from 80km/h to 40km/h, triggering numerous speeding summonses, particularly for nearby residents and regular commuters.

Road users told the English daily that the short distance between the two speed limit signs leaves motorists with little time to decelerate safely, while sudden braking on the busy stretch increases the risk of rear-end collisions.

However, Penang police chief Datuk Dennis Lim Kwang Keng defended the enforcement, saying motorists must reduce their speed when approaching the sharp bend.

“It is a sharp curve, and motorists must reduce their speed. Vehicles risk skidding if they negotiate the bend too fast, particularly when the surface is slick during rainy weather,” he was quoted as saying.

Dennis also said any review of the 40km/h speed limit would require environmental, traffic and engineering assessments.

The issue has sparked widespread discussion on social media, with Facebook user Chan Lilian saying her husband received a speeding summons while riding his motorcycle along the stretch.

She said she later drove the route herself to see whether it was possible to slow to 40km/h by braking, but was still travelling at around 57km/h.

“The road slopes downhill; you simply cannot slow down that abruptly without risking being hit from behind,” she wrote on Facebook. 

Seri Delima assemblyman Connie Tan Hooi Peng said she had received at least 10 complaints from constituents who described the speed limit as impractical.

She said she had inspected the site with a representative from the Northeast District Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department, as well as officials from the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) and the Public Works Department (JKR).

According to Tan LLM had explained that the 40km/h limit was based on the road’s engineering design, but she had requested the authority to review whether a more practical solution could be implemented.

She later said on Facebook that police speed enforcement at the location had been temporarily suspended while the relevant technical agencies carry out further assessments.