Name: LIEW KOK KEI (111458) EAL 335 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Question: Propose to the relevant organization that is related/responsible for the problem.
Identify the organization(s) you have to deal with. Strategize how you want to use these
organizations, and see how they can help you.


Answer to question:

Road traffic congestions, which is often known as traffic jams, has been a major problem
in most cities around the world including Malaysia. Developing regions in Malaysia such
as Kuala Lumpur and Bandar Melaka are the typical cities which resulting in massive
delays, increased fuel wastage and monetary losses due to traffic congestions. Traffic
congestions can happen in association with several factors and poor traffic management
is one of the key elements to the said issue.

Poorly planned road network regions are the common hotspots which might potentially
result in elongated traffic jams of long queue of vehicles. This phenomenon becomes
more severe if road construction works are being conducted within the hotspots such as
road rehabilitation and maintenance. Prior to the issue, Malaysia road authorities should
be responsible in cooperation with the road users in order to solve this problem which can
be continually deteriorated as time goes whereby the supply of the road exceeds its
demand of road users and the road network system in Malaysia is no longer be able to
cater the large amount of vehicles specifically land transportation.

Public Works Department (PWD) which is also known as Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) is
accountable in solving the said issue. PWD is the local federal government department
under the Ministry of Works (MOW) which is fully-responsible for construction and
maintenance of public infrastructures in Malaysia. The vital responsibilities of PWD
under the MOW are to plan the development of the Federal road networks nationwide
and to coordinate and monitor the implementation of the Federal road projects and other
projects under the supervision of MOW. Furthermore, PWD also regulates the privatized
maintenance works of Federal roads and monitor the construction, operation, toll
handling and maintenance of the tolled expressways in Malaysia.


Figure 1 Public Works Department (JKR)

Name: LIEW KOK KEI (111458) EAL 335 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Road construction works are often the main contributor to the heavy traffic congestion.
During road construction works such as road rehabilitation and maintenance, heavy
paving machines are involved and the newly paved roads (flexible or rigid pavement)
will have to be blocked and the traffic movements along the fresh roads are prohibited.
This phenomenon will directly influence the traffic flow and smoothness of road, that
called traffic congestion. This phenomenon is often classified as non-avoidable problem
as traffic flow must be affected when construction works are carried out along the road
and road user would have to speed down their vehicles and obey the special rules along
the road under construction.

However, the severity of traffic congestion due to road construction work can be
lowered down if PWD proposes and carries out proper traffic management. With proper
traffic management particularly during road construction such as time management and
road division management, the severity of traffic congestion will occasionally be lowered
down. Construction works should not be conducted during the peak hours: morning (7-10
am) and afternoon (5-7 pm). In addition, PWD should also plan the suitable lanes for
traffic movement during road constructions in order to prevent unnecessary traffic
congestion in most Federal roads.


Figure 2: Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM)



This issue is also associated in most of the expressways, which connect state to state and
often the point of exit or entrance of a state or country, especially during festive seasons.
As the highway authority, Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) or Lembaga Lebuhraya
Malaysia (LLM), a government agency founded in 24
th
October 1980 under the MOW
which functions to monitor the works and administration of expressways in Malaysia, is
liable to maintain the traffic smoothness and avoid unwanted traffic congestions on
expressways during the peak seasons.





Name: LIEW KOK KEI (111458) EAL 335 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING

Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS) that established on 3rd January
2007, are one of the road authorities accountable for minimizing traffic congestion
problem in Malaysia. In a nutshell, MIROS functions as a one-stop center for the
generation and dissemination of road safety information through the print media and a
concerted training programs to road users. This institute also carries out studies and
evaluates current procedure on road safety to generate information that will form the core
of its evidence-based intervention programs to enhance road safety. With the aid of
accurate yet easily digestible information provided MIROS via suitable programs, road
users would become more concerned about the safety issues on roads and the importance
of maintaining smooth traffic flow particularly when incidents happen on road whereby
traffic flow will often be affected by the sense of curiosity of road users.


Figure 3: Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (MIROS)



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THE END OF REPORT