The opening of Smart Lanes on highways has been geared toward reducing traffic congestion, with implementation from February 12 this 12 months ahead of the Chinese Recent Yr festive season. In keeping with road safety experts, the Smart Lane implementation should nevertheless not come on the expense of road safety, reported The Star.
While converting the emergency lane to a further lane during peak hours may look like a practical and cost-effective solution for reducing traffic congestion, there are inherent risks related to the move, in response to Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) road safety expert associate professor Law Teik Hua.
“Smart lanes are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they assist alleviate traffic jams by maximising existing road space without the necessity to construct recent highways. For motorists stuck in queues, even small reductions in travel time can bring significant relief,” Law said.
Safety concerns have since emerged, and this mainly involved stopped vehicles on the emergency lane, and slow detection of incidents on emergency lanes. in response to Law.
“The shoulder is designed to accommodate disabled vehicles, ambulances and emergency response teams. Using it as a further traffic lane compromises this safety buffer. If implemented without proper oversight, the risks may outweigh the advantages,” he continued.
Overseas, smart motorways allows dynamic use of the hard shoulder to extend traffic capability, and temporary highway shoulder use in the US and Australia was subject to strict operating controls, supported by clear signage, speed management, enforcement and surveillance, he said.
These overseas examples of implementation showed that smart lanes can work in Malaysia, but provided that robust safeguards are in place, similar to with fastidiously controlled activation timing, operate strictly during real peak-hour congestion, and should be closed once traffic eases. “They need to not grow to be a everlasting measure to extend highway capability,” he said.
Meanwhile, Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said that smart lanes shouldn’t displace emergency lanes, that are intended to facilitate the efficient deployment of rescue vehicles for major road incidents and disasters.
Among the many aspects contributing to traffic congestion on highways is the offer of discounts and exemptions on toll fare charges during festive seasons, he said.
“Offers of toll discounts for a day or two are a foul idea, as motorists are inclined to schedule their travel plans around them. This creates congestion and a man-made peak traffic period for travellers who would have otherwise travelled on other dates,” he said.
“This can encourage carpooling and reduce congestion. At the identical time, toll fees ought to be imposed on motorcyclists to discourage them from travelling during festive seasons to cut back fatalities and accidents on this category of car,” Suret said.
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This Article First Appeared At paultan.org
