According to Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) senior lecturer Ismaniza Ismail, as reported by Harian Metro, it is estimated that drivers in Klang Valley spend at least 44 hours a month stranded in traffic. She also claimed that most workers are forced to spend at least one or two hours travelling to and from work every day.

2 hours off working period lost to traffic each day, impacting productivity:  

"Take into account the amount of time lost daily due to traffic. Imagine a worker who leaves for work early each morning and returns home early to avoid traffic. Even when they work the whole eight hours each day, there is still an hour or two that is "lost" owing to the commute," said Ismaniza.

This, she continued, may have an impact on productivity costs. "If the average hourly wage is RM7, multiplied by the number of working hours (21/22 hours), the productivity loss on the road is calculated at RM308 per month," she said. She pointed out that the stress brought on by traffic jam can also have an impact on people's physical, emotional, and mental health, which subsequently may have an impact on the workplace environment.

Flexible work schedule implementation is direly needed:

Flexible work schedules are recommended by Ismaniza as a worthwhile endeavour to take into account in order to reduce traffic and boost productivity.

"Flexible work schedules that allow for working days, as is common in many industrialised nations, or working from home are other options that can boost productivity because there is less chance of getting stopped in traffic," she added. "However, this cannot be extended to certain professions such as teachers, who are compelled to travel to work, as well as to drivers who drop off children to school," she continued.

Improving public transportation is another viable solution: 

Another effort that ought to be made, according to Ismaniza, is to improve the standard of the current public transportation services by expanding their network of routes. These services also need to be effective in how they are run.

Imagine how much productivity we're estimated to lose each month due to traffic in Malaysia! Putting aside the rising cost of petrol fuel and the constant burn out, being stuck in traffic consistently for a prolonged period of time could take serious toll on a person. 

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