Smart Lane on highways should not come at the expense of safety and should not displace emergency lanes – experts – paultan.org

The opening of Smart Lanes on highways is aimed at reducing traffic congestion, with implementation from February 12 this year, ahead of the Chinese New Year holidays. However, according to road safety experts, the implementation of Smart Lane should not be at the expense of road safety The star.

While converting the emergency lane to an additional lane during peak hours may seem like a practical and cost-effective solution to ease traffic congestion, there are inherent risks involved, according to Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) road safety expert Law Teik Hua.

“Smart lanes are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, they help reduce congestion by maximizing existing road space without the need to build new highways. For drivers stuck in queues, even a small reduction in travel time can provide significant relief,” said Law.

Since then, safety concerns have arisen, mainly involving stationary vehicles on the hard shoulder and slow detection of incidents on the hard shoulder. according to the law.

“The shoulder is designed to accommodate disabled vehicles, ambulances and emergency response teams. Its use as an additional lane compromises this safety buffer. If implemented without proper supervision, the risks could outweigh the benefits,” he continued.

Overseas, smart highways enable dynamic use of the emergency lane to increase traffic capacity, and the temporary use of highway shoulders in the United States and Australia was subject to strict operational controls, supported by clear signage, speed management, enforcement and supervision, he said.

These overseas implementation examples showed that smart lanes can work in Malaysia, but only if robust safety measures are in place, such as having carefully controlled activation timing, operating strictly during real peak hours, and closing once traffic subsides. “They should not become a permanent measure to increase the capacity of highways,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Road Safety Council member Datuk Suret Singh said smart lanes should not replace emergency lanes, which are intended to facilitate the efficient deployment of rescue vehicles during major traffic incidents and disasters.

One of the factors contributing to traffic congestion on highways is the offer of discounts and waivers on toll rates during the festive season, he said.

“Offers of toll discounts for a day or two are a bad idea because motorists tend to plan their travel plans around that. This creates congestion and an artificial peak period for travelers who would otherwise have traveled on other dates,” he said.

“This will encourage carpooling and reduce traffic congestion. At the same time, toll charges should be imposed on motorcyclists to discourage them from traveling during the festive season to reduce the number of fatalities and accidents in this category of vehicles,” Suret said.

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