GEORGE TOWN – The decades-old issue of traffic congestion after class is done for the day may be a thing of the past should the state adopt staggered finish times, particularly for primary school pupils.
The idea has been mooted by Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor Connie Tan, but it requires the nod from state education authorities and schools’ parent-teacher associations.
Bottlenecks on nearby roads occur every time school ends, and the fact that schools are located in busy areas both on the island and mainland provides no respite.
Contributing to the congestion are parents who find themselves with no choice but to double or triple park while waiting to fetch their children.
After a months-long closure due to Covid-19, schools have reopened, and the traffic woes are exacerbated by parents’ reluctance to allow their children to travel using buses, leading to them driving their kids themselves.
MBPP has initiated Ops Bersepadu, a joint effort between the council’s enforcement officers and traffic police, at SK and SMK Convent Green Lane here in a bid to ease traffic flow, said Tan.
However, she said, what would be even more effective is implementing staggered finish times.
“With secondary school students returning to the classroom today, we are expecting traffic to pile up. We will have at least eight MBPP enforcement officers and two to three police officers on site,” said the MBPP traffic sub-committee chairman.
“We urge parents not to arrive too early at schools, as this will worsen traffic. For those who arrive early, please be considerate towards other road users by not parking your cars in an inconvenient manner.”
With the virus threat still present, she said, principals must ensure no crowding at their schools’ entrance and exit areas.
Penang Education Department director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad was unavailable to comment on the matter.
Several elected representatives contacted by The Vibes expressed support for Tan’s idea, describing it as a practical way to reduce congestion and prevent crowding.
This is key given that the state is still a Covid-19 red zone, they said. – The Vibes, April 6, 2021
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