Letter to the Editor
By Frederick Teo
I am writing to urge your newsroom to look into public concerns over the ongoing roadworks and the persistent traffic congestion along the Kuching–Samarahan Expressway. This is a matter that goes beyond daily traffic frustration and squarely into the realm of public safety, with ambulances being routinely trapped in traffic.
The Expressway links two major hospitals on either side – The Sarawak Heart Centre and the Kuching Specialist hospital, with ambulances rushing both ways everyday. During peak hours, it is increasingly common to see ambulances immobilised in grid-lock, sirens on, without a way out for extended periods.
Adding to the usual inconvenience of navigating traffic congestion everyday, it is alarming to watch emergency services unable to deliver.
It raises an uncomfortable by necessary question : How has this been allowed to continue for so long without urgent corrective action?
When there are so many lanes available, no provisions have been made until now for critical services like ambulances, accident response, police etc.
Along stretches such as La Promenade Mall to UNIMAS, lanes for ART have already been constructed and remain unused. These lanes, at the very least, could serve as temporary emergency corridors. If concerns exist regarding misuse by the general public, this can be mitigated through enforcement and meaningful penalties to deter abuse. Most road users are civic-minded and would respect such measures.
Good city planning emphasises flexibility and multi-use of infrastructure, particularly in public transport systems. In many cities, buses operate on dedicated lanes when necessary, yet share road space when conditions require.
Taking the ART lanes into account, this expressway now effectively consists of six to ten lanes, yet motorists, including emergency vehicles, still spend hours covering only a few kilometres.
Everyone I have spoken to who regularly uses this route shares the same concern. While we look forward to the future benefits of a new public transport system, we must not lose sight of what truly makes a city better – the care, safety, and responsiveness afforded to its people every single day.
If waiting in traffic feels like wasted time for ordinary commuters, then every second lost inside an ambulance, or waiting for one, is immeasurably precious.
I hope your newsroom will investigate how emergency access is currently being managed during these roadworks, why temporary solutions have not been implemented and whether the relevant authorities recognise the urgency of the situation.
Mr Frederick Teo is a resident of Kota Samarahan.
This is the personal opinion of the author(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of DayakDaily. Letters to the Editor may be lightly edited for clarity.
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