JC3

This letter to The Star sums up two Penang problems rather well I thought – the lawlessness on the roads, and the mushrooming makeshift makan mania.

Well said Pro Bono Publico!

JC3

See the letter below, or at:
Losing battle against traffic offenders - Letters | The Star Online

Losing battle against traffic offenders

THE police seem to have lost their battle against lawbreakers on the road.

Daily, one can see thousands of motorists breaking traffic rules with impunity, double parking, illegally parking, obstructing busy roads, jumping queue at traffic intersections, riding without helmets, which has become the norm, and under-aged children whizzing about in suburban areas and, now, even on open roads.

These and numerous other traffic violations have made this country similar to Third World countries in the region that we used to cast aspersions for their lawlessness on the roads.

We seem to have done no better in the past two or three decades and is now unrecognisable from the city streets of any Third World country that we used to scoff at.

If this festering disease is not stopped immediately, our aim of becoming a developed nation in 2020 will be but a dream.

Another concern is the huge number of makeshift eateries that are mushrooming beside roads, construction sites, new spanking malls and in every nook and corner of Penang.

It seems like anyone can just put up a table and chair anywhere and start a business with no interference from anyone!

PRO BONO PUBLICO

Penang

ex reg

Drove up from Singapore to Ipoh last week and drivers were fine all along the west coast.

Today drove from Ipoh to Kota Bharu and the further east we got the worse the driving became.

kingoflostfools

Not saying that it is justifiable, but the layout of the junctions and the timing of traffic lights is a problem.

Take for example the 4-way junction at Jalan Gotlieb and Jalan Mount Erskine. If you hit that junction as the lights turn red then you can be waiting for about 5-to-7 minutes for the lights to go green again.

So is it surprising that when there is no cross-ways traffic that the motor cycles simple ignore the red light and go through? Not easy sitting there for several minutes in the blazing sun without air conditioning.

Some of the problems are caused simply by the congestion (two schools on that stretch of Jalan Gotlieb as well as the turn off to the Adventist Hospital), but when on my way to Tanjung Tokong I hate it, but it is very difficult to avoid.

A simple measure would be to reprioritise the traffic lights in favour of traffic moving SW->NE on Jalan Gotlieb to reduce traffic build up in that direction as well as preventing congestion caused by parents picking up / dropping off kids at S.M.J.K. (C) school. If necessary block vehicular access to the schools (as turning is a problem) and start fining parents who wait on the roadside.

A longer term solution would be to replace the junction with a roundabout, but this would require drivers to observe a bit more politeness. Not a lot of that about on the roads.

InVinoVeritas

I'm absolutely with you on this KoLF. I wonder if anyone has studied the optimum timing of any of the traffic lights in Penang. As it is now they are not respected because they are unnecessarily delaying everyone's journey.

ex reg

Just what I was thinking yesterday here in Kota Bharu while sat at traffic lights for a few minutes with no cross traffic whatsoever.