Don’t you just hate feeling excited to get home from work only to have to brave the not only congested roads, but also more frequently these days, the congested public transportation?
A video on Twitter which showcased 2 protected bus lanes in between roads full of cars in Jakarta recently gained a million views since being posted.
These buses save the climate ???
? H/T @firmanyursak
pic.twitter.com/suH1EcMjj9— Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (@TUMInitiative) May 12, 2022
The video has prompted Malaysians to debate on whether or not this would work here. One user said that instead of “Chinese ART gadgetbahn, electric buses or fancy stations”, this simple yet interesting solution using readily-available technology could help ease traffic congestion.
According to a Facebook post by Sedap Tau, buses usually face problems of being late because they use the same roads as other motor vehicles which causes them to become stuck in traffic with other cars.
Advantages of protected bus lanes
Firstly, with protected bus lanes, buses will be able to move from one place to another without any restrictions. This will allow buses to be more on time, like rail transport systems such as the LRT and MRT.
Secondly, the cost of building road dividers for the protected bus lanes will not cost as much as building new lines and stations for rail transport systems because the roads and buses are already available.
The only work left to do is to build the dividers.
Thirdly, one user shared that protected bus lanes may make public transportation more palatable as there could be better last mile connectivity options.
This means that buses that use protected bus lanes may be more accessible as the gap from public transit to the destination and from the place of origin may be less, allowing commuters a shorter walk to and from the bus.
Challenges to implementation
While the idea of protected bus lanes looks promising, it could be challenging to push for implementation as the creation of a protected bus lane means a reduced number of car lanes, which Malaysians may not like.
As one user puts it, Malaysia is extremely car centric. “Unless Malaysia will get it done like how Seoul does it, forcing people to find alternatives rather than cars.”
However, the idea that more lanes on the road can reduce congestion is a myth because more lanes just means more cars, causing an ‘induced demand’.
Additionally, this solution may not be as favourable to politicians as it is not a mega project such as the building of new LRT lines.
One netizen said, “The same people who are making the policies are the ones who will profit from corruption on big fat projects, whether it benefits the people or not.”
What do you think of building protected bus lanes? Let us know in the comments!
Also read: Rapid: Repairs of Facilities at LRT & MRT Stations Delayed Due To Lockdowns In China
