AUGUST 12 — Following the recent problems of traffic congestion during the Eid al-Adha, a proper solution should be sought to solve the problem as the rise in vehicles on almost every highway has put a heavy burden on the road capacity and its users. 

This is especially critical when we move to the next phase of Revitalise — the fifth phase of the exit strategy for the economy from the detrimental effects of MCO and Covid-19 — where the economy will be opened up holistically.

Malaysians’ common daily experience to extreme traffic congestion renders them immune to it, and even the viral picture of people praying on the emergency lane recently showed clearly how awful the traffic congestion situation was at that time.

Senior Minister of Works Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof also stated that the maximum traffic capacity at the Gombak toll plaza (KL-bound) currently stands at 158,000, with an average of 126,000 vehicles travelling the route during peak hours, and 180,000 to 200,000 traffic volumes during the festive season.

Therefore, it’s probably the right time to cut it off and put hope on the government to do something as soon as possible because people are getting sick and tired of these stressful traffic jams which inevitably waste our time, energy and money.

Besides, traffic congestion is one of the leading transportation issues in most developed countries, and it has affected many sectors economically and socially, such as the United States, which has recorded US$305 billion (RM1.282 trillion) in traffic congestion losses. 

While the PLUS management introduced its Travel Time Advisory several years ago, there are still drawbacks, as traffic congestion remains unchanged and severe as before. Yet the use of technology like 5G and the Internet of Things may be useful to compensate for the initiative’s shortcomings.

Through 5G, its connectivity will allow vehicles to interact more effectively with each other and with the surrounding urban environment. As in Europe, Martin Kristensson, Vice President Digital Business at Volvo Cars, has announced that they have already allowed vehicle-to-vehicle communication in most of the country.

Our country is also moving towards a new digital economy called "Malaysia 5.0” which outlines a problem-solving approach to society’s challenges and problems through the deployment and implementation of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technologies that incorporate both physical and digital environments.

5G could be the springboard for the digital revolution, and its introduction will also help the country solve the issue of traffic congestion quickly.

The Penang Island’s City Council, for instance, has continued the project to accelerate Penang smart city initiatives with the cooperation of IBM Malaysia, and IBM has succeeded in providing solutions to address traffic congestion there. It would be great if the move could be emulated by the federal government and other state governments. 

In this regard, the Malaysian Highway Authority’s (MHA) intention to negotiate the expansion of major roads and highways with PLUS Malaysia Berhad (PMB) to address the rise in traffic volume might not be the best option because it is costly and time-consuming.

People should begin to adapt to the practice of depending on public transport while waiting for the government to continue to upgrade it, as this is potentially a secure solution to solving the issue of traffic congestion. 

The government should also avoid dilly-dallying the discussion of the issue, concentrate on introducing several useful measures to improve our public transportation system and perhaps encourage carpooling practice.

One more point is that if the construction of public transport such as the East Coast Rail Link project can be one of the ways to address the problem, anything that hinders its implementation process should be speeded up for the good and convenience of the people.

Besides, the government’s plan to ban heavy vehicles during peak seasons could be useful to some, but not to business owners because it will interfere with supply and demand.

In-depth research to minimise traffic jams should be generated by cooperation with highway authorities such as PMB and MHA, and we believe that proper policy implementation will solve the problem successfully.

Based on the experience of various drivers facing major traffic jams on the East Coast Expressway over the years, some have proposed that the highway should have the openings on the dividing wall at the correct distances so that the traffic can be redirected to the additional lanes.

It is also essential to be aware of the perceptions and recommendations of the users. Whether it makes sense or not, it will be valuable in assisting the highway authorities with highway maintenance and traffic problems.

Autoworld, Malaysia’s automotive portal recommended that people do their part by maintaining the speed limit and following the main path, clearing the fast lane, smartly overtaking, avoiding to be the cause of traffic jams, and driving on a trunk road, where possible. It would, of course, not be the primary solution, but our little efforts will mitigate the effect.

Some technologists have claimed that the solution could have been Artificial Intelligence (AI), as there is a study by Sunway University Malaysia, using AI to minimise the vehicles’ total travel time using a traffic network simulator.

In the US, an adaptive traffic control system developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute was rolled out across the city by a company named Rapid Flow Technologies, and their Surtrac technology is being used at 50 intersections in Pittsburgh.

This technology has lowered waiting times to 40 per cent at intersections, and travel time in the city has dropped by 25 per cent, while vehicle emissions have dropped to 20 per cent.

Therefore, improved road infrastructure, proper urban planning and design, and the introduction of advanced technology are critical to managing the problem.

*Farhan Kamarulzaman is a Research Assistant at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.

**This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.