Stuck In Christmas Traffic: KL Shoppers Trade Festive Cheer For Three-Hour Parking Nightmare

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter, or Telegram and WhatsApp channels for the latest stories and updates.

---

Kuala Lumpur’s premier shopping district came to a virtual standstill on Thursday (25 December) as Christmas Day crowds overwhelmed Bukit Bintang, leaving motorists trapped in traffic for hours.

Multiple social media users documented severe congestion, with some reporting they were stuck in the same location for up to three hours.

The gridlock affected both roads and parking facilities across the area, with particularly severe conditions reported at major shopping centres, including Lot 10 and Pavilion KL.

One user on the social media platform Threads reported being trapped in the Lot 10 shopping centre’s parking area for at least 2 hours since 1 pm.

In the comments section, another motorist described an even worse situation, saying they were immobilised on Level 6A of the same facility.

The original poster noted that many frustrated drivers had abandoned their vehicles.

By the time the user commented on another thread, they had been stuck in the same position for two hours.

View on Threads

Shoppers Forced To Re-Park Vehicles

At Pavilion KL, a female user shared a video of her 45-minute attempt to exit a parking space. Faced with severe traffic, she eventually gave up and re-parked her vehicle.

She urged others to avoid the Bukit Bintang area entirely, describing the traffic situation as “crazy.”

One commenter on her post said they had been trying to leave the area since 1 pm and remained stuck there at 4 pm when they posted their message.

Several users reported that several intersections in the area had been blocked, exacerbating already severe congestion.

Social media posts showed bumper-to-bumper traffic and vehicles completely immobilised throughout the district.

Meanwhile, another user reported traffic congestion and called for traffic police to be deployed to ease the situation.

View on Threads

A Predictable Problem?

The chaos raises questions about crowd management and traffic planning during major holidays in one of Kuala Lumpur’s busiest commercial areas.

Bukit Bintang’s infrastructure appears ill-equipped to handle peak holiday crowds, with limited road capacity and parking facilities quickly becoming overwhelmed.

It’s a recurring challenge for urban centres: balancing commercial vibrancy with practical accessibility.

The situation also reflects broader questions about public transport accessibility—while MRT and monorail stations serve Bukit Bintang, many shoppers still opt to drive, particularly during holidays when carrying purchases or travelling with family.

Whether this was an exceptional occurrence or a sign of inadequate planning for predictable holiday crowds remains to be seen.

What is clear is that for many who ventured to Bukit Bintang on Christmas Day 2025, the festive cheer was dampened by hours of gridlock.

The area faced another challenge as many roads were littered with trash following the celebrations, prompting Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to call for responsible waste disposal.

@jordanlimtalk

Please behave during celebration…. Malu Malaysia la

♬ original sound – Jordan Lim

---

Share your thoughts with us via TRP’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Threads.

Stuck In Christmas Traffic: KL Shoppers Trade Festive Cheer For Three-Hour Parking Nightmare
Entertainment Flash Report