PETALING JAYA: With traffic snarls along highways worsening, local highway concessionaires have introduced “smart lanes” as a quick fix to ease flow.
The new system, which began implementation on Feb 12, sees the emergency lane temporarily converted into an additional pathway for traffic.
However, experts say the move should not come at the expense of road safety.
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) road safety expert Assoc Prof Law Teik Hua noted that while converting the emergency shoulder into an additional lane during peak hours may seem like a practical and cost-effective solution to reduce traffic congestion, it carries inherent risks.
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“Smart lanes are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they help alleviate traffic jams by maximising existing road space without the need to build new highways. For motorists stuck in queues, even small reductions in travel time can bring significant relief,” he said.
However, he pointed out that the emergency lane played a critical safety role.
“The shoulder is designed to accommodate disabled vehicles, ambulances and emergency response teams. Using it as an additional traffic lane compromises this safety buffer.
“If implemented without proper oversight, the risks may outweigh the benefits.”
He said Malaysia was not alone in exploring such measures, as in the United Kingdom, smart motorways allowed dynamic use of the hard shoulder to increase capacity.
Prof Law said safety concerns have since emerged, mainly involving stopped vehicles and slower incident detection.
“Improvements were later introduced, including more emergency refuge areas, enhanced incident detection systems and closer monitoring.”
Similarly, he said temporary road shoulder use in the United States and Australia was subject to strict operating controls, supported by clear signage, speed management, enforcement and surveillance.
These international examples, he said, showed that smart lanes can work in Malaysia but only if robust safeguards are in place.
“The activation timing must be carefully controlled. Smart lanes should operate strictly during genuine peak-hour congestion and must be closed once traffic eases.
“They must not become a permanent measure to increase highway capacity,” he said.
Prof Law highlighted the need for real-time CCTV monitoring and effective incident detection systems, as well as public education on the measure.
“Smart mobility is not just about moving more cars. It is about ensuring safety on the road,” he added.
Road Safety Council of Malaysia executive council member Datuk Suret Singh said smart lanes should not displace emergency lanes, which were in place to facilitate the efficient deployment of rescue vehicles for major road incidents and disasters such as landslides.
He said several factors caused traffic congestion on highways, citing the offer of discounts and exemptions on toll charges during festive seasons among them.
“Offers of toll discounts for a day or two are a bad idea, as motorists tend to schedule their travel plans around them.
“This creates congestion and an artificial peak traffic period for travellers who would have otherwise travelled on other dates,” he said.
Suret suggested that to control traffic flow, vehicles with fewer than three passengers should be imposed higher toll fees.
“This will encourage carpooling and reduce congestion. At the same time, toll fees should be imposed on motorcyclists to discourage them from travelling during festive seasons to reduce fatalities and accidents in this category of vehicles,” he said.
With motorists returning home after the Chinese New Year celebrations between Friday and Sunday, PLUS Malaysia Bhd said it will activate smart lanes at 32 high-traffic locations across its expressways to ease congestion and ensure smoother traffic flow.
