A regular traveller on the road claimed on bad days the bumper to bumper crawl could stretch up to six miles and drivers could take up to hours to clear that stretch.
Compounding the situation rogue drivers especially those driving heavy vehicles often weaved their way in and out of the lanes to get in front of the queue endangering other motorists, especially motorcycle riders.
Tempers often flared as drivers inched their way forward and on several occasions Road and Transport Department officials had to go to the road to calm the angry drivers who called the police to complain about these unscrupulous drivers.
An attendant of a petrol station near the Kota Sentosa junction recounted a horrific accident when a motorcyclist was run over by a truck.
“Last September a truck driver in his effort to go into the two-lane road after the traffic light brushed against a motorcyclist who fell under the truck rear wheel and was crushed to death.”
Some motorists detoured to the Samarahan road to avoid the jam but that route is a much longer route to city centre.
Some of those caught in the jam put the blame on a water mains and a power substation which eat slightly into the widened road as they were not removed to make way for the road expansion.
However, a Public Works Department senior engineer refuted the claim saying that it was inevitable that such massive jams occurred as people up country had to go to the city centre to work or shop especially during festive seasons and for most that was the only route to get there.
“Similar situations happen all over the state, especially on main roads leading to the city centres. The solution lies in proper organisation of the traffic flow,” he said.
Some motorists called for more alternative routes to the city centre to ease the congestions and bottle necks while others seemed to be resigned to live with this daily grind.
“I leave my home at Taman Greenwood at 6.00am daily and reach my school, a distance of around 15 kilometres, at 7.15am,” a teacher said when asked how he coped with the situation.
All drivers stuck in the jam recently when interviewed cried out for a quick solution to the daily traffic snarl and urged the police to rein in heavy vehicle drivers who bullied their way through the jam.
Massive flow of traffic into Kuching City centre causes bumper to bumper crawl stretching miles.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/12/24/frayed-nerves-over-dailyjams/#ixzz2FvO9u6eW
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