By Dayangku Hidayatul
KUCHING, Aug 14: As Malaysia records nearly one road death every hour, Samarahan is set to become a pilot project for road safety measures, drawing on a successful intervention in Hulu Langat, Selangor.
Works Minister Dato Sri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Samarahan project would be carried out through cooperation among the Ministry of Works (KKR), the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Sarawak Public Works Department (JKR), and relevant agencies.
He said the project would draw from the experience of a similar road intervention at Hulu Langat, which had improved safety for schoolchildren, teachers, and nearby residents.
“The project was subsequently constructed and completed successfully, and the results have been very helpful. Before the project was implemented, schoolchildren from the nearby school faced the risk of accidents because vehicles were travelling at high speeds along the road.
“But after the project was completed, including traffic lights and a road crossing, the area became safer for the schoolchildren, teachers, and residents in the surrounding village,” he said when speaking to reporters after officiating the Completion Ceremony of the Road Accident Management System (RAMS) Expansion Course and Road Accident Data Reporting According to PDRM K27 Standards here today.
He said the initiative was important as Malaysia continued to face a worrying number of road deaths and serious injuries.
Nanta said data presented by the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) during the two-day course showed that 18 people lose their lives in road accidents every day.
“That is almost one person every hour. This is very worrying for us,” he said.
In Sarawak, KKR has channelled RM12.53 million for road safety treatments on federal roads from 2021 to 2026.
The allocation comprises RM6.275 million for ‘black spot’ treatments, RM5.854 million for street lighting installations, and RM400,000 for the Signalised At-Grade Pedestrian Crossing (LPKSI) programme.
At the national level, the government has allocated RM80 million this year for road safety treatments on Federal roads nationwide, covering 99 blackspot locations.
The allocation also includes new streetlights at 334 accident-prone or high-risk locations with poor lighting.
In addition, 14 traffic lights will be installed at high-risk intersections, while 19 LPKSI crossings will be constructed.
Nanta said RAMS and the PDRM K27 system were part of efforts to strengthen road safety management through better accident data.
He said the K27 system belonged to PDRM, while KKR had been using it for about six years.
Nanta also thanked WHO for its continued support for Malaysia’s road safety efforts.
He said cooperation among KKR, WHO, JKR Sarawak, PDRM, and local authorities was important for translating road safety data into practical measures to protect road users better. — DayakDaily
