A power trip at Changkat Jering toll plaza near Taiping since 9pm has resulted in long queues at the toll exit and entry.

A Projek Lebuhraya Utara Selatan (PLUS) spokesman when contacted said the problem affected electronic toll payment transaction.

"For the time being we could only process payment manually at all six booths, three northbound and three towards the south," she said here tonight.

She said Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) was attending to the problem.

Meanwhile Perak Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department deputy chief DSP Mohd Mahiri Hussin said if the traffic situation worsened, traffic may be diverted to Kuala Kangsar interchange about 30 kilometres away.

The congestion appeared to have deteriorated as more people began returning to their kampungs in conjunction with the start of school holidays, he said.

-- BERNAMA