KUCHING, Jan 4: Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) proposes a contraflow lane to be opened to ease traffic congestion along Kuching-Samarahan Expressway.
Its president Voon Lee Shan said that creative temporary measures should be considered and implemented to deal with the notorious traffic jam.
He opined that as practised for many highways in Kuala Lumpur such as the MEX Highway and Cheras Highway, a contraflow lane should be opened to ease congested lanes at the pertinent hours.
“For example, during morning time, 5am to 10am, a contraflow lane is to be opened at the Samarahan bound side to ease commuters coming out to Kuching to work.
“During the operation of contraflow, traffic police must be stationed to oversee the process. This has been proven to be effective and I believe that this will only affect the upgrading progress at a minimum,” said Voon in a statement today.
He said Kuching is now facing a development boom and problems such as this will surely arise much quicker. He urged the relevant authorities to be more creative in providing solutions which will quickly tackle problems that Kuching people are facing.
Voon pointed out the Kuching-Samarahan Expressway has become notoriously congested which has severely impacted the productivity and quality of living of those who live in Kota Samarahan and Kuching City.
He also noted that the upgrading works for the said expressway has been going on for many years but yet to be completed.
“It is not new that Kota Samarahan is suffering traffic congestion and if I am not mistaken, contemplation (sic) was proposed that flyovers were to be constructed instead of traffic lights.
“Given the growing population of Kota Samarahan and the rapid pace of development there, flyovers should be the more plausible go-to long term solution,” Voon said.
Despite so, he added, even the existing upgrading project involving converting roundabouts into traffic light installations eventually required a rescue contractor to salvage the said project.
“It is observed that this rescue contractor is adopting ineffective measures to salvage the project as no reasonable contractor carrying out public works who understand and properly studied the magnitude of congestion that Samarahan and Kuching people are facing would ever think of carrying out construction work during daytime.
“Hence what we see is this horribly torturing traffic congestion which Samarahan and Kuching people have to experience every day.
“Sadly what Kuching now has that is comparable to Kuala Lumpur is bad traffic jams instead of development,” Voon said. — DayakDaily
