Gridlock outside gate: Traffic slows to a crawl as parents arrive to pick up their children at SMK Seri Hartamas in Kuala Lumpur. — SS KANESAN/The Star
As traffic volume grows with drop in demand for school bus services in Klang Valley, congestion caused by parents who fail to go by the book gets worse.
Residents living near SMK Seri Hartamas in Sri Hartamas, Kuala Lumpur, know they have to avoid the road in front of the school during weekday afternoons.
This is when the school session ends and 1,000 students will exit the compound and head home.
ALSO READ: More families ditch school bus service to cut cost
Many parents park their vehicles haphazardly along Jalan 48/70a in front of the school, making it almost impossible for others to pass through the two-lane road.
A check by StarMetro one afternoon found traffic at a complete standstill on the road, with cars bumper-to-bumper.
Long-time resident Hamidon Mill, 63, said the parents’ tidak apa attitude towards traffic rules set a bad example for their children.
(Above and below) Bollards and cones placed along the road next to SMJK Katholik in Petaling Jaya fail to deter parents from parking there. — Photos: LOW BOON TAT and CHAN TAK KONG/The Star
He added that many parents would come early to wait for their children, further contributing to the bottleneck.
Jalan 48/70a is connected to SPRINT Highway via two slip roads – one for exiting and another for entering the highway.
This caused another congestion problem along the highway as many parents would park there during pick-up times and walk to the school.
Kiara View Residents Association chairman Fardan Abd Majeed, 45, said this created a blind spot for motorists exiting Jalan 48/70a to enter the highway.
“This is an accident waiting to happen,” he said.
He explained that in 2019, a discussion was held between Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) on the issue.
“It was decided that the slip road from SPRINT Highway leading to the school would be closed temporarily during drop-off and pick-up times.
“This was to create a single flow of traffic in hopes of easing the congestion in front of the school,” he said.
However, this move did not help to solve the traffic problem.
Fardan said the congestion in Jalan 48/70a would last longer when extracurricular activities were held at the school.
The school’s Parent-Teacher Association representative Tharmarani Raja Thurai, 47, said letters and messages via chat groups had been sent to parents to remind them to be mindful when parking but they had been ignored.
Proper local planning needed
Mother-of-two Normahizan Kasim, 61, said the authorities should have a guideline for approving development of new schools.
“A proper assessment of traffic issues and site suitability should be carried out to prevent conflict between the school and community,” she explained.
She opined that there should be a separate access road just for schools and students.
“I have seen many schools with access routes that are also the main roads for nearby housing estates and commercial areas. This is poor planning,” she noted.
Fardan said the government should allocate a budget for schools to hire Rela personnel to direct traffic during peak hours.
“Enforcement must also be stepped up to deal with parents who break the rules,” he added.
Tharmarani said it was up to parents to set a good example for their children by being more considerate of others.“Why can’t parents park farther away from the school? This would be more civic-minded,” she said.
She noted that another factor contributing to jams near schools was that fewer students were now taking schoolbuses.
Asked if residents should tolerate the temporary afternoon congestion in their housing area, Tharmarani rejected the notion and said that double parking was against the law.
Traffic nightmare
A similar problem is unfolding in a neighbourhood in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
Parents picking up their children at SMJK Katholik park all over the Section 10 neighbourhood and along Jalan Gasing, which chokes the main road on schooling days in the afternoon and evening.
There are Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) parking bays nearby, where the parents can park for free but for some reason, they avoid the site.
Section 10 Residents Association (S10RA) president Ronald Danker said he had many encounters with rude parents about the issue.
“When the school reopened after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, we were once again faced with a traffic nightmare.
“We placed bollards along the neighbouring road but to our surprise, the parents still park by the bollards,” he said.
He added that this made the road even narrower for residents driving past.
“The problem is parents come too early, park and wait by the road.
“If they wish to come so early, they can park for free under the high-tension cables near Satellite Restaurant.
“We have written to MBPJ about our plight.
“At the moment, there is a ‘no parking’ sign along the neighbouring road.
Some parents park for two hours in front of shops just a road away from the school in Section 10, causing inconvenience for business owners
“We hope the council will place a ‘no waiting’ sign too,” said Danker.
He said MBPJ did not have the authority to issue summonses to motorists while they were seated in the car.
“We need more enforcement and also a change in attitude among the parents,” he stressed.
A restaurant business operator in the neighbourhood said he could not secure a lunch crowd due to the afternoon congestion.
“These parents sometimes come two hours before the school session ends and park in front of the restaurant. They will sleep in the car while waiting.
“Such inconsiderate behaviour has led to losses for business owners in the area,” said the restaurant owner.
SMJK Katholik Parent-Teacher Association chairman Casey Tan said frequent reminders had been conveyed to parents not to park indiscriminately or hog road shoulders when picking up their children.
He pointed out two factors that were making the congestion worse.
“In the past, many of the students took vans and buses but most of these services have stopped.
“The school has a high number of students too.
“At the moment, there are around 560 students in each form and we urge the authorities to reduce this to 500,” said Tan.
A Petaling Jaya district police headquarters spokesman said they received complaints from the public almost on a daily basis about the parking problem.
“We do ask the parents to move their vehicles and they obey, but will come back to the same spot later.
“Parents must change their selfish behaviour,” said the spokesman.
