Skip to main content

Rectangular-shaped road divider causes safety concerns to road users


GEORGETOWN: A rectangular-shaped road divider at the junction of Jalan Pisang Rastali and Jalan Pisang Embun in Kampung Pisang, Air Itam, has raised safety concerns among road users. Many drivers ignore traffic rules to avoid taking a detour and reach their destinations more quickly.

A driver who declined to be named, said, “The corner is extremely dangerous for road users, especially when cars suddenly rush across the road at the bend and cannot be seen by the oncoming drivers from the opposite side of the road.

Air Itam state assemblyman, Joseph Ng Soon Siang acknowledges that complaints have been received regarding the divider and that the matter has been brought up to Majlis Bandaraya Pulau Pinang (MBPP) already. “Although the area is under the jurisdiction of Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR), we always forward our complaints to MBPP so that they can liaise with JKR.

“Actually, road users should adhere to the traffic rules. Before Sunshine Central was completed, it was a triangular divider, but after that, it became rectangular in anticipation of heavier traffic in that area,” he said, adding that, if the authorities closed off one of its accesses, it might result in traffic jams. Sunshile Central is a mixed-development project comprising various components, namely luxury serviced apartments (Sunshine Residence), a shopping mall (Sunshine Mall), a hotel (Sunshine World) and an office tower (Sunshine Tower).

The rectangular divider is situated at the crossroad intersection of Jalan Pisang Rastali and Jalan Pisang Embun. Jalan Pisang Embun extends in three different directions. Currently, vehicles are allowed to turn from Jalan Pisang Rastali into Jalan Pisang Embun for travel to Jalan Zoo or to Jalan Thean Teik. Vehicles approaching from Jalan Thean Teik can only turn left towards Jalan Kampung Pisang, while those from Jalan Kampung Pisang can only turn left to proceed towards Jalan Zoo. Vehicles from Jalan Zoo can also only turn left to reach Jalan Air Itam via Jalan Pisang Rastali.

However, some vehicles from both Jalan Pisang Rastali and Jalan Pisang Embun treat the rectangular divider as a small roundabout, cutting across the roads at the intersection, ignoring traffic rules, and endangering other road users at the same time.

Residents living around the area said that the rectangular divider only appeared several months ago. “You can see many vehicles crossing the road where they are not supposed to. I use this road every day to travel to and from work, and nearly got hit several times,” said one resident.

“Perhaps the police should monitor the traffic around the area, especially during peak hours. Sometimes, not a minute goes by without motorbikes or cars breaking the rules,” said Mohan Veerasamy, 58, a Safety and Security Manager who lives on Jalan Pisang Embun. “It is indeed very dangerous for road users and homeowners, like us. Many accidents have occurred here, and it is also dangerous to cross the road.”

Mohan also expressed worry that something untoward would happen if nothing was done to improve the situation. “Perhaps the authorities could consider making this into a one-way road,” he suggested.

However, another resident who is a retiree, also commented, “When Sunshine Central was built, nobody came to discuss with us. Anyway, I must admit, I sometimes do use the shortcut too. I mean, who wants to go one big round just to arrive at either Jalan Thean Teik or Jalan Kampung Pisang?”

Despite the apparent danger, the Timur Laut OCPD, ACP Razlam bin Ab Hamid revealed that only one accident was reported over the past year for Jalan Pisang Rastali while no accidents have been reported for Jalan Pisang Embun.


* This article was first published in theSun on April 23, 2024.

 

 

 

 

Popular posts from this blog

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words Hello Kitty does not have a mouth. She speaks with her heart. Worldwide novelty ‘Hello Kitty’ had Singaporeans queuing up and tussling over a limited edition toy kitten dressed in skeleton outfit from a German fairy tale known as ‘The Singing Bones’. McDonald’s Singapore sold the toy, as the last in a series of six, which began early June. The last frenzy was Hello Kitty dressed in wedding attire in 2000. Despite having stocked up on 40% more on collectible Hello Kitty toys this year and limiting each customer to only 4 toys each, McDonald’s claim that the response for the Fairy Tale series had been overwhelming. The fast-food chain announced last Thursday that the iconic toy had been sold out, much to the disappointment and frustration of many enthusiastic collectors who braved the haze in an attempt to get their hands on the plush toy. Singapore wasn't the only country bogged by this phenomenon. Malaysia a

Living in the Now

The word "now" might seem to have an impatient connotation to it. However, being present in the now requires simply a state of mind that is calm, aligned and aware of the present circumstances. As Julian Barbour said, "Time is a series of nows". The concept of being here in the present can be easily understood by filling a drinking straw with water and then keeping the water in the straw by closing off one of the ends with a finger. When we release our finger which acts as a valve, water then flows out of the straw. It takes time for the water to flow out of the straw, from the top to the bottom. From this experiment, we can experience the "now" that happened in the past, the "now" in the present, and the "now" in the future. However, while the water is still in the straw, time becomes still, happening all at once - the past, present and future, simultaneously. Focusing on the now is relevant to many areas of our lives. For

Booming back-to-nature business in Pekan

A scenic view of the Pahang River from onboard floating raft houses is not only what Rumah Rakit Maraie offers locals and tourists at Kampung Padang Rumbia in Pekan.  The “back-to-nature” hotspot also boasts a floating restaurant and a shark catfish farm, known locally as “ikan patin”. Despite its name, the shark catfish is not a shark and is a species of catfish native to the rivers in Southeast Asia. Mohammad Haniff Mohd Rasli, 38, quit his job as a civil servant in Penang to help grow his family business in his village at Kampung Padang Rumbia in Pekan three years ago.  He decided to grow his father’s business and at the same time, help the small businesses in his village grow their income.  Haniff was formally a radiographer at the Advance Medical Dental Institute (USM) at Bertam, Kepala Batas, Penang, from 2007 until 2021.  “I went back to Pekan during Covid-19 to help my father with his business which he started in 2017. After that, I quit my job and have never looked