Question 1 Malaysia Government Transportation Agencies

Kementerian Pengangkutan or Ministry of Transport (MOT), is a federal

government agency of Malaysia responsible for transport infrastructure, headquartered
in Putrajaya. The body acts to ensure a variety of transportations are available in the country
which are smart, safe, sufficient and friendly. Among the roles and responsibilities of MOT
are planning, establishing and executing the policy and building the infrastructure for rail,
maritime, ports and air transportation, to offer licensing services for individuals, concessions
holder, and domestic shipping, and registration of vehicles of all modes.
Jabatan

Pengangkutan

Jalan

(JPJ)

or

Malaysian

Road

Transport

Department (RTD) is a government department under the Ministry of Transport (MOT).

The department is charged with the responsibility of undertaking registration and licensing of
drivers and all motor vehicles and trailers in Malaysia. The main objectives are to regulate the
registration and licensing of motor vehicles, to enforce and administer the road transport law
and to monitor the motor vehicle safety standards.
Kementerian Kerja Raya (KKR) or Ministry of Works (MOW), is a federal
government agency that is also responsible for development of transportation, however
MOW focuses on the development of the federal road and not the other modes of transport
like one undertaken by the MOT. MOW is also responsible for the construction of federal
buildings.
Lembaga Lebuhraya Malaysia (LLM) or Highway Authority of Malaysia is under
Ministry of Work (MOW). It was established to supervise and execute the design,
construction, regulation, operation and maintenance of expressways and inter-urban
highways, to impose and collect tolls, to enter into contracts and to provide for matters
related to highways system. They undertake the development, maintenance and regulation of
highways to comply with international standards in order to provide sufficient, comfortable
and safe highway services. They manage the toll collections from the highway users and
carry out research to efficiently utilize the highways and all the facilities related to it.
Therefore, as far as tolled highways system is concern, LLM is the expert being referred to by
the federal government.

Jabatan Kerja Raya (JKR) or Public Work Department (PWD) is the federal
government department also under the Ministry of Works (MOW). They do not specifically
in charge of road transportation, rather they are more general in which they are responsible
for construction and maintenance of public infrastructure in Malaysia which includes roads,
buildings, mechanical, electrical, military and water works. JKR is responsible for
construction and maintenance of the Malaysia Federal Roads System which is the main
national road network in the country.

Question 2 List of Road Design Guidelines in Malaysia

As extracted from JKR official website, the guidelines are listed as follows:
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 1/85 (Pind.1/89)
Manual On Design Guidelines of: Longitudinal Traffic Barrier
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2A/85
Manual on Traffic Control Devices: Standard Traffic Signs:
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2B/85
Manual on Traffic Control Devices: Traffic Sign Applications
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2C/85
Manual on Traffic Control Devices: Temporary Sign And Work Zones Control
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2D/85
Manual on Traffic Control Devices: Road Marking And Delineation
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 2E/87
Manual on Traffic Control Devices: Guide Signs Design And Application
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 3/85 (Pind.1/88)
Garis Panduan Untuk Memproses Pembangunan Tepi Jalan Persekutuan
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 4/85 (Pind.1997)
Application for The Installation of Public Utilities Services Within the Road Reserve
First Schedule - Guidelines for JKR Engineers
Second Schedule - Instruction To Applicants
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 5/85
Manual On Pavement Design
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 6/85 (Pind.1/88)
Guidelines for Presentation of Engineering Drawings
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 7/85
Garis Panduan Untuk Penyediaan Pelan Pengambilan Balik Tanah Bagi Projek Jalan
Persekutuan
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 8/86A
Guide On Geometric Design of Roads
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 9/86 A
Guidelines for The Installation of Kilometre Post
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 10/86
A Guide To The Design of Cycle Track
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 11/87
A Guide To The Design of At-Grade Intersections
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 12/87

A Guide To The Design of Interchanges

Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 13/87
A Guide To The Design of Traffic Signals
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 14/87
Model Terms of Reference For Detailed Ground Survey And Engineering Design of Roads
Arahan Teknik (Jalan) 15/97
Intermediate Guidelines to Drainage Design of Roads
Nota Teknik (Jalan) 18/97
Basic Guidelines on Padestrian Facilities
Nota Teknik (Jalan) 19/97
Intermediate Guidelines to Road Reserve Landscaping
Nota Teknik (Jalan) 20/98
Design Review Checklist for Road Projects
Construction Supervision Manual for Contract Road Works
Guidelines for Inspection & Testing of Road Works
A Guide to the Visual Assessment of Flexible Pavement Surface Conditions
Interim Guide to Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Flexible Road Pavement
Interim Guide on Identifying, Prioritising and Testing Hazardous Locations on Roads in
Malaysia
Guidelines for the Environmental Impact Assessment of Highway/Road Project
Standard Specification for Road Works
Road Safety Audit Guidelines for the Safety Audit of Roads and Road Project in Malaysia
A Guide to good quality control practices on asphalt production and construction (book & CD)

As extracted from REAM (Road Engineering Association Malaysia) official website, the list
of guidelines are listed as follows:
1. Guidelines for Road Drainage Design (5 volumes)
i.
Hydrological Analysis Estimation of Design Floods Volume 1
ii.
Hydraulic Design of Culverts Volume 2
iii.
Hydraulic Considerations in Bridge Design Volume 3
iv.
Surface Drainage Volume 4
v.
Subsoil Drainage Volume 5
2. Guidelines on Bridge Aesthetics
3. Guidelines for Works Related to Public Utility Installations Within the Road Reserve
4. A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads
5. A Guide for Bridge Inspection
6. Guidelines to the Design of Plain Concrete Pavement
i.
Part 1 Concrete Pavement Selection
ii.
Part 2 Thickness Design of Plain Concrete Pavement
iii.
Part 3 Specification for the Construction of Plain Concrete Pavement
7. Guidelines on Traffic Control and Management Devices
i.
Part 4 Pavement Marking and Delineation
8. Guidelines for Planning Scope of Site Investigation Works for Road Projects
9. Specification for Cold in Place Recycling
10. Guidelines on Design and Selection of Longitudinal Traffic Safety Barrier
11. Specification for Semi-Rigid Wearing Course
12. Specification for Hot In Place Recycling
13. Specification for Polymer Modified Asphaltic Concrete
14. Specification for Porous Asphalt
15. Guidelines on Traffic Control and Management Devices
i.
Part 3a: Application of Traffic Signs: Signing Scheme at Junctions (At-Grade)
16. Guidelines for Traffic Impact Assessment
17. Guidelines for Motorcycle Facilities
18. Manual on Bridge Asset Management
19. Guidelines on the Selection of Pavement Types-Asphalt or Concrete
20. Specifications for Stone Mastic Asphalt
21. A Guide to the Structural Design of New Flexible Pavement

Question 3 Road Category

A road hierarchy has been accepted as one of the important tools used for road
network and land use planning, it differentiates roads by functions so that appropriate
objectives for that roadway can be set and appropriate design criteria can be implemented.
The use of road hierarchy contributes to general safety by aiding in orderly planning of heavy
vehicle and dangerous goods routes, it also helps the planning of safe and efficient bus,
cycling and walking routes. There is no unanimous agreement on the classification of road as
there are a number of different hierarchies being utilized in different countries, thus there is
no standard version. The hierarchy to be discussed here is typical one.

Expressways are divided highways for through traffic with full control of access,
always with grade separations at all intersections and usually serve long trips e.g. interstate
and smooth traffic flow e.g. North South Expressways (PLUS) and East Coast Expressway
(LPT). Expressways may also serve short distances in which they stretch only within the state
such as North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE). Normally design speed for expressway is
110km/h

Highways are usually high-speed roads that connect cities or states or regions to each
other. Some countries such as the United States interchangeably use the term highway and
arterial as their functions are partly identical. In Malaysia the arterials, highway and
expressway are interchangeably used.

Arterials are continuous road with partial access control for through traffic within
urban areas. They are normally wide high speed roads that are actually within the city, it does
not serve traffic movement as fast as the highways or expressways and they may have
stoplights. The speed limit may varies from 50 80 km/h depending on the functions and
limitations. Arterials are expected to carry large volumes of traffic and are frequently the
route of choice for intercity buses and trucks. Due to increasing complexity and
sophistication of road network system, arterials are often divided into 2 categories to further

separate their functions, some hierarchies divide arterial into major and minor, arterial and
sub-arterial, urban and rural or primary and secondary. Despite the different names for both
categories, all the hierarchy systems have a common reason for the division: The major
arterials are usually the main national roads or highways connecting significant centers of
population, the traffic movement distance is usually longer than minor arterials and it usually
provides through traffic movements and they are the primary freight and dangerous goods
routes, some examples are the Kuala Lumpur Federal Highway, Kuala Lumpur Seremban
Highway, Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) and Jalan Cheras. Minor arterials are usually the
main roads joining the local areas and smaller centers of population, or they provide a link
between larger population areas to the major arterials or they provide a link between major
arterials, an example is Ampang Road and Syed Putra Road.

Collectors collect traffic from Local Roads and connect traffic to arterial roadways.
Collector routes are typically shorter than arterial routes but longer than local roads.
Collectors often provide traffic circulation within residential neighborhoods as well as
commercial, industrial or civic districts and the speed limit is 40 60 km/h. Generally in
large cities, there are 2 types of collectors: major and minor. Major collector forms the basic
network of the road transportation system within a district. They serve intermediate trip
lengths with partial access control and link up the arterial road to town. Minor collector is a
road with partial access control designed to serve on a collector between major collector and
the local road system. It penetrates and serves identifiable neighborhoods, commercial areas
and industrial areas. In small cities, the division is usually not necessary due to lesser
populations and simplicity of their road network.
Local Roads serve to provide direct access for residential or other area of
development in urban areas. The roads are designed for low speed environments and
pedestrian priority therefore the speed limit is normally set below 40 km/h. Their function is
to provide direct property access. They are not intended for use in long distance travel, due to
their provision of direct access to abutting land. Bus routes generally do not run on local
roads. They are often designed to discourage through traffic. As public roads, they should be
accessible for public use throughout the year. Local Roads are often classified by default. In
other words, once all Arterial and Collector roadways have been identified, all remaining
roadways are classified as Local Roads.

Question 4 Disadvantages of Road Transport

Road transport has some significant merits over its air and water counterparts,
however it is also recognized for several noticeable disadvantages. During rainy or flood
season, roads become unfit and unsafe to use as a mean of transportation as compared to rail
transportation because the vehicles on the road are manually maneuvered while trains path is
fixed by the rail track, thus probability of accidents on the road is higher, this issue is
significant in tropical countries subjected to heavy flooding rain. Road vehicles are also
subjected to higher accidents and breakdowns rate as compared to rail transport.
For people living in the urban, travelling on road has a high risk of delays during the
peak hours, in this case, travelling by rail offers more comfortable ride and it is more secured
in terms of time management as rail transport has a fixed schedule for arrival, departure and
travelling period which gives huge advantage for the users to plan their trip. Apart from that,
since road transport users are obligated by law to focus on maneuvering their vehicles, their
productivity during travelling are limited while rail transport users may use their travelling
time at their own interest to increase their productivity e.g. reading books, texting family and
loved ones, holding a video or teleconference and doing web research.
For delivery businesses, the rates charged for road transportation always fluctuate
since toll prices are changing frequently, thus it is less stable than its rail counterpart. In case
of delivering bulky items, road transport may be unsuitable especially over long distances,
not to mention the high cost which sometimes does not justify for the value of the items being
delivered i.e. pay high delivery fees for cheap bulky items. Compared to air transportation,
the delivering speed is highly reduced on road transportation which results in longer waiting
period for the customers.
As a conclusion, road transportation along with other modes have their own merits
and demerits, therefore it is crucial to identify these pros and cons to maximize their
potential, to minimize their flaw and eventually manipulating them to benefit our purpose.

Question 5 How to Overcome Congestion in Traffic

Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is
characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queuing. At a
glance, an obvious solution to the problem would be to increase the capacity either by
widening the existing road or adding additional routes, but according to Fundamental Law
of Road Congestion as published in American Economic Review (2011), expansion of road
network actually induces higher individual and commercial driving and it induces more inmigration, thus increases incoming traffic. Basically, motorists increase their vehicles usage
when more roads are available making it almost impossible to relieve overcrowding by
simply building more roads.
More studies have revealed that instead of expanding the road network which creates
new demands, what is needed is a method to curb these demands. One method is to impose a
toll on drivers for using the roads which is known as Congestion Charging. Nowadays
almost all drivers are hooked up on the GPS system either by a dedicated GPS device or their
smartphones, a study may be conducted to identify the congested areas by tracing peoples
journeys on GPS and charge them accordingly at the congested areas. London has introduced
Congestion Charge Zone (CCZ) in 2003 and extended the zone in 2007, as a result it has seen
an improvement in traffic flow by at least 15% during the first month and a reduction of
60,000 vehicles after 6 months, journey times have been reported to be reduced by 14%.
Another method of curbing road traffic demands is by implementing Road Space
Rationing, it is a method of decreasing traffic congestion in a city by limiting the amount of
vehicles allowed in a certain area based on license plate numbers, the restriction applied to
registration plates that end with certain numbers and for specific days, this method is usually
exercised during peak periods in heavily congested city centers. It has been implemented as
early as 1982 in Athens, Greece and has been followed by others like Sao Paolo, Brazil in
1997, Bogota, Colombia in 1998 and it was implemented for the 2008 Summer Olympics in
Beijing with huge success at reported rate of 30% traffic reduction, hence the rationing was
then implemented permanently. However, one drawback is that some families have adopted
multiple cars to get around the restrictions which increase the total congestion due to
additional cars per family.

Another method is to invest in an improved public transit system which includes more
buses, lower fares with attractive payment packages for different audiences e.g. students,
veterans, government servants etc., introduction of cashless payment system e.g.
TouchNGo, and more dedicated bus lanes across the city which are protected by the law
enforcers to prevent other vehicles intrusion into the lanes. The construction of Mass Rapid
Transit (MRT) in Malaysia is a wise investment to curb future traffic congestion, it provides
wider coverage of high populated areas than the previous LRT and it has higher passenger
capacity.
A more radical, long term idea to curb traffic congestion is for the urban city planners
to reset their priorities by giving pedestrians and public transit higher consideration over
automobile when planning for a community. For example, typical shopping malls today have
their car park areas placed next to the main street while the malls are placed far back, this is
convenient for the motorists and it has always been the standard pattern in Kuala Lumpur but
it deters people from walking or taking a bus due to the huge distance between the main street
and the mall entrance, instead the planner can place the car park area behind and put the mall
right next to the major streets, people will be encouraged to forego using their car and simply
walk to the mall due to shorter distance. The planner may enclose the whole stretch of street
with shopping mall, this way it will be more convenient and pleasant for shoppers to jump off
a bus and walk to the entrance immediately instead of having to sweat through a massive
parking lot. Urban densification is vital so that non-motorists may traverse from one point to
another shortly, obviously reshaping the existing automobile-centric city will take a long time
so this concept may be used for planning of new development area.
Some other methods for overcoming traffic congestion include introducing Parking
Restrictions to make motor vehicles less desirable by increasing the monetary cost of
parking, upgrading the road infrastructures to alleviate congestion by reducing the frequency
of traffic stopping at intersection i.e. constructing bridges, tunnels and express lanes and
installing Visual Barriers to prevent drivers from slowing down out of curiosity at road
construction sites and especially during road accidents in which traffic slowing down even on
road that is physically separated from the accident location.
.

Question 6a Stopping Sight Distance

The ability to see ahead is critical for traffic safety and efficient operation of a vehicle on a
highway. Define stopping sight distance (SSD) by outlining the components to be considered
in determining stopping sight distance.
Answer:
Stopping sight distance is defined as the near worst-case distance needed for drivers
to see an object ahead on the roadway in order to have room for safe stop before colliding
with the object. It is the sum of 2 distances:
a) The distance traversed by the vehicle from the instant the driver sights an object
requiring a stop to the instant the brakes are applied. This distance is known as Break
Reaction Distance and the time interval to cover this distance is known as
Perception-Reaction Time (PRT). In formula,
d PRT =0.278Vt r ,
Where V =design speed and t r= perceptionreaction time
b) The distance needed to stop the vehicle from the instant brake application begins. The
distance is known as Braking Distance and the time interval is known as Maneuver
Time (MT).
2
0.039V
d MT =
a
Where V =design speed

and a=deceleration rate

V2
Stopping
Sight
Distance=0.278
V
t
+0.039
r
Therefore,
a

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) allows 1.5
seconds for Perception time and 1.0 second for Reaction time, thus 2.5 seconds have been

chosen as PRT. In NCHRP Report 400 - Determination of Stopping Sight Distances,

deceleration rate of 3.4 ms-2 has been chosen.
Question 6b Passing Sight Distance
Passing sight distance is determined for a single vehicle passing a single vehicle with the
assumption that cover majority of situations observed in the real world conditions. The
passing sight distance (PSD) is the passing maneuver of a vehicle, which is in a sum of four
components d1, d2, d3 and d4. Explain with aid of a diagram the different components of a
passing sight distance.
Answer:
Passing Sight Distance (PSD) is the length of roadway that the driver of the passing
vehicle must be able to see to safely and efficiently initiate and complete passing maneuvers
of slower vehicles on two-lane highways using the lane normally reserved for opposing
traffic. AASHTO Green Book (1) has defined PSD as sum of 4 distances:
d1 Distance traversed during perception reaction time, and while accelerating to the point
of encroachment on the left lane.
d2 Distance traveled while the passing vehicle occupies the left lane
d3 Distance between the passing vehicle and the opposing vehicle when the passing vehicle
returns to the right lane.
d4 Distance that the opposing vehicle travels during the final 2/3 of the period when the
passing vehicle is in the left lane i.e. 2/3 of d2

In formula:
PSD=d 1 +d 2 +d 3 +d 4

d 1=0.278 t 1 (vm+

a t1
)
2

d 2=0.278 v t 2
d 3=3090 meters
d4 =

2 d2
3

Where:
t 1 =time of initial maneuver
a=average acceleration
v =average speed of passing vehicle

m=difference speed between passing passed vehicles

t 2 =time when passing vehicle occupiesthe

Reference List

Question 1:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Transport_(Malaysia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Public_Works_Department
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Highway_Authority
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_Road_Transport_Department
www.kkr.gov.my/, www.mot.gov.my/, www.llm.gov.my/

Question 2:
Sale of REAM Publication
http://www.ream.org.my/?q=node/4

Arahan Teknik, Cawangan Jalan

https://www.jkr.gov.my/page/176

Question 3:
Eppell, V.A.T. (Tony) and McClurg, Brett A and Bunker, Jonathan M (2001), A Four Level
Road Hierarchy for Network Planning and Management, Proceedings 20th ARRB
Conference, Melbourne.
NZ Transit Planning Policy Manual Version 1 Appendix 3A Road Hierarchy
Road Layout Design Blueprint for Iskandar Malaysia, 2011, Iskandar
Regional Development Area, Skudai: IRDA

Question 4:
RC Agarwal, Advantages and Disadvantages of Road Transport
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/geography/transportation/advantagesand-disadvantages-of-road-transport/42135/
Advantages and Disadvantages of Road Transport
http://eprints.tktk.ee/232/2/advantages_and_disadvantages_of_road_trans
port.html
Pooja Mehta, Advantages and Disadvantages of Road Transport in India
http://www.economicsdiscussion.net/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-roadtransport-in-india/2191
Marta Jaruzel, Road freight Advantages and Disadvantages
http://www.chicsha.com/road-freight-advantages-and-disadvantages/

Question 5:
Benjamin Gilles, Overcoming Traffic Congestion, Part 1 and 2

http://www.troymedia.com/2011/08/05/overcoming-traffic-congestion-partone-reducing-demand/
http://www.troymedia.com/2011/08/11/overcoming-traffic-congestion-parttwo-providing-alternatives-to-auto-centrism/
https://miovision.com/blog/road-space-rationing-in-heavily-congestedcities/
https://miovision.com/blog/congestion-charges-effective-trafficmanagement-tool/
http://www.telogis.com/blog/exclusion-zone-compliance-saves-timemoney-and-the-planet
https://miovision.com/blog/urban-congestion-impacts-and-improvements/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_congestion

Question 6a:
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/geometric/pubs/mitigationstrategies/chapter3/3
_stopdistance.cfm
https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Fundamentals_of_Transportation/Sight_Distan
ce
http://onlinemanuals.txdot.gov/txdotmanuals/rdw/sight_distance.htm#CH
DCDCCH
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stopping_sight_distance

Question 6b:
NCHRP 605 - Passing Sight Distance Criteria, 2008, Transportation
Research Board, Washington: NCHRP
http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/niatt_labmanual/chapters/geometricdesi
gn/theoryandconcepts/PassingSightDistance.htm