PETALING JAYA: The reopening of roads that have been closed for a long time to help ease congestion is helpful, but the government must ensure these roads are safe, say experts.
Malaysian Road and Transportation Safety Association chairman Nik Salim Nik Salleh said hazard identification and risk assessment need to be done before reopening, as some roads might be in bad condition after their long closure.
“Roads that have been closed for a long time need to be studied, especially in terms of safety.
“The readiness of the roads to accommodate traffic as well as support facilities during emergency must also be considered before they are opened to the public,” he said.
Nik Salim added that the roads’ design and safety could also be outdated and need proper maintenance such as ensuring streetlamps are working properly and signboards are updated.
“(The government) must involve relevant experts and stakeholders from the road safety field in this effort,” he said.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Assoc Prof Dr Law Teik Hua said the move would only provide temporary relief to traffic congestion issues.
He said the reopening would not be able to fully resolve the issue of traffic jams and could potentially divert the congestion to new areas.
“We need to understand the root causes of the congestion first.
“From the data, we can identify the affected areas and we can implement the necessary measures such as installing proper bus lanes,” he said.
On the safety of roads that have been closed for long periods, Law said the authorities need to look at them individually.
“Some areas have different situations, so it will be very important for the authorities to look into them on a case-by-case basis. They must ensure that if there’s construction nearby, motorists’ safety is taken care of.
“They also need to get feedback from stakeholders such as residents and contractors,” he added.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said all roads that have been closed for road works and other construction will be reopened as soon as possible.
He said the move was among the immediate steps to be taken to ease traffic congestion, particularly in the Klang Valley.
Transport Ministry Anthony Loke also said local authorities need to identify the roads that could be used for contraflow arrangements.
Contraflow is a temporary traffic arrangement in which traffic moving in both directions use one side of the road while the other side is being repaired.
Malaysian Highway Authority director-general Datuk Mohd Suhaimi Hassan said contraflow and smartlanes on highways have been used and proven to have helped in easing traffic congestion.
However, he added that the methods are not practical on some highways as both directions of traffic are congested, especially during peak hours.
“As of now, there are six contraflows and two smartlanes implemented in the Klang Valley.
“Among the highways involved are SILK, Kesas, Besraya, Grandsaga, and LKSA.
“Meanwhile, smartlanes are available at the Damansara-Puchong highway (LDP) and NKVE,” he told The Star.
The Public Works Department, when contacted, said there were no federal roads that were closed due to construction.
Its Road Facilities Maintenance branch director Muhammad Harridzan Abdullah said the department would provide earlier notices in case of any roads under its supervision that are closed.
