By Malcolm Lau
KUCHING: Public Works Department (JKR) Sarawak has been urged to produce better traffic management plan prior to a project such as the road construction at Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Foochow traffic intersection.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong emphasised that a traffic management plan in and around construction site was crucial to ensure safety and smooth traffic flows on roads.
“There was no proper traffic management plan at all and that is why you see traffic is chaotic and congestion here and there,” she addressed a press conference at a brief reopening ceremony of Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Foochow Road today.
“I hope this will be a lesson for JKR Sarawak, which is an implementing agency, as well as all contractors to seriously take into account safety and management standards at construction sites,” she said.
She stressed that traffic diversion plan as well as traffic signs including warning posts, instructions, direction posts, regulatory signs and restriction signs must be put in place.
“You have to tell the public, motorists how to go about the traffic which have been affected, not when everybody get stuck in the traffic,” she said.
As such, Yong wants all contractors to improve safety practices and procedures in all construction sites especially those involving infrastructure projects.
“I hope in the future, JKR Sarawak will plan out their projects better and more seriously with contractors involved.
“This way, motorists using the roads daily will not be badly affected with too many inconveniences such as bad traffic jams especially during peak hours,” she added.
Meanwhile, major repair and upgrading works at Jalan Tun Razak-Jalan Foochow traffic intersection started in August this year. It was scheduled to be completed in November.
While JKR Sarawak has given assurance that an intervention plan was in place including traffic management with assistance from the traffic police to control traffic flow at peak hours, the construction had however caused great inconvenience to the public.
JKR Sarawak had on Dec 19 advised road users that the Jalan Rengas-Jalan Foochow intersection will be closed until Dec 31 to implement concrete resurfacing work.
However, JKR Sarawak managed to complete the final part of the concrete casting and reinforcement works faster than schedule and the road was re-opened today, seven days ahead of schedule.— DayakDaily
