Driving in KL is certainly not for the fainthearted! Many residents will suggest you make your first driving excursions on a Sunday morning when traffic is likely to be light. It’s not really the volume of the traffic that’s the problem for most expat drivers though, it’s the unpredictability. If it’s not motorbikes zooming every which way around you, it’s other motorists making multi-lane changes without indicating, or overtaking on the inside – so the fewer other drivers around the better while you concentrate on navigating your way around the idiosyncratic road system.

Most maps are often out of date or simply inaccurate, but The Street Directory published by Rimman is the best option. Roads have many twists and turns and it’s extremely hard to double back if you realise you’ve made a wrong turn. Getting lost is part of KL life though, and eventually you’ll find the road network starting to make sense. GPS has recently arrived in KL, and although there are mixed reports about the accuracy of the maps, it can be a big help.

When it comes to getting hold of a vehicle, cars are expensive. A new Honda Civic will cost around RM110,000, while a five year old second hand one will cost around RM65,000. Local brands Proton and Perodua, as well as locally assembled models by Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai and Kia, offer more car for your money; a new Proton Waja comes in at around RM60,500. Despite this, cars are popular and ‘new’ sales are strong.

Petrol is cheap (it’s subsidised by the government), with a litre costing about RM1.90, so once you’ve invested in your car, or if you’re lucky enough to get a company car, running costs are relatively low.
Jaywalking pedestrians can be a hazard to drivers, especially in the city centre and around shopping centres, so it pays to be cautious. Cyclists are a rare sight in the city centre but are sometimes found in the suburbs.

Traffic at peak times is heavy. The morning rush will start to build up at around 07:00 and clear by 09:30, while 17:30 to 19:30 is the worst time for evening traffic. Most radio stations have regular traffic updates during peak hours and will report on any problems through the day as they happen. Major roads have electronic signboards providing real-time information on traffic and road closures. Note that the messages are written in Bahasa Malaysia, and, although it’s easy enough to understand a warning about a jam, some of the more complicated messages are a mystery to most expats. If you can commute outside peak hours or against the flow of traffic you’ll spend much less time in the car. Car pooling doesn’t have any tangible advantages like being able to use special lanes, but you may be able to share a ride with someone who works with you and lives nearby.

You can avoid some of the traffic by using the network of privately operated toll roads but these can get jammed too, especially around toll plazas and exit ramps.