KUCHING, Dec 13: The Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak and contractors have to employ strategies such as carrying out works during off-peak hours, especially on the main roads, to minimise traffic disruption at Jalan Kuching-Samarahan Expressway as the ongoing constructions have generated bottlenecks and caused severe congestion.
Raising this, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii believes that the massive traffic jam, which is an almost daily occurrence, especially at the already congested Tabuan Tranquility roundabout exiting to the Kota Samarahan Expressway, was caused by the construction works carried out during peak hours and made worse during the current rainy season.
“I received multiple complaints yesterday (Dec 12) and even drove to the site, where I was also caught in the jam at the Tabuan Tranquility roundabout.
“Some drivers complained to me that it took them almost three hours to get from Bandar Riyal (in Kota Samarahan) to Hui Sing Garden and many were late to pick up their children from schools,” he said in a statement today.
Dr Yii said he has made an official report to the system and informed the traffic police to help control the traffic so as to reduce the congestion in the area, especially during peak hours.
He pointed out that the core issue was the strategies implemented by JKR Sarawak, suggesting that they should compel contractors to conduct works only during off-peak hours or even at night when there is low volume of traffic.
In addition, he also called on JKR Sarawak and the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council (MPKS) to ensure works to transform the three roundabouts into trafic light intersections be expedited without any further delay.
“There must be a special focus on this particular project to ensure it is expedited and completed as soon as possible as road users who frequent the roads have suffered much agony and inconvenience,” he said.
However, Dr Yii also raised concerns that the upcoming traffic light intersections may not resolve the traffic problems in the highly populated area and a long-term better city planning solution is needed including creating more alternative routes as well as improving the public transport system must be considered.
“The approach to this issue has to be multi-prong in the long-term. But for now at least, immediate short-term actions can be taken to alleviate the congestion including expediting the upgrading project,” he added. — DayakDaily
