THERE are killer stretches on roads and highways all over the country, which may be the result of poor design. The danger is aggravated by drivers who like to take liberties with little regard for safety.
Whatever the case may be, those tasked to identify and weed out such killer stretches — be it local councils or the Public Works Department — have their jobs cut out.
News of some 100 protesters carrying a replica coffin and placing mock graves at an intersection along Persiaran Mokhtar Dahari in Shah Alam, over a series of accidents involving heavy vehicles and a recent 12-vehicle pile-up on Oct 9 that resulted in four injured, dramatises the heightened public anxiety over this particular thoroughfare.
The use of coffins and mock graves in the protest marks a new low in public road safety and accountability.
When residents feel compelled to stage a "theatre of death" to draw attention to dangerous road stretches, it marks a damning indictment of the authorities' responsiveness or the lack of it.
No community should have to dramatise the prospect of death just to jolt the powers-that-be to take action.
This particular protest also highlighted the lack of progress over a proposal mooted as far back as 15 years ago for a 5km flyover that will address the recurring accidents.
We can cite many other cases over the past 10 years where Malaysians felt the need to take to the streets to demand remedial action.
In December 2021, Taman Melawati residents in Ampang picketed over stalled sewerage works that had left roads with potholes and damaged surfaces, posing risks to motorists and pedestrians alike.
In Kuching, residents living near Kuching International Airport have called for speed bumps along Jalan Sungai Tapang to curb speeding vehicles. A petition was organised in May 2024 to press the Padawan Municipal Council to act.
In Ipoh last year, Taman Tambun residents sought basic safety measures, including speed bumps, clearer road markings and signage at dangerous junctions, besides enforcement against speeding drivers.
In Kuantan, about 150 residents of Taman Balok Baru staged a peaceful demonstration in November 2015 against bauxite-laden lorries using and damaging residential roads near their homes. Their concerns included speeding heavy vehicles, damage to local infrastructure and risks posed to children.
The measure of good governance is not how quickly officials respond after an embarrassing protest. It is rather whether these officials act before residents feel compelled to stage any protest.
A road should not have to earn a reputation as a death trap before it receives urgent attention. It is incumbent upon officials to move from reactive crisis management to preventive action.
No Malaysian family should have to wonder whether their neighbourhood roads will only be made safe after a tragedy strikes.
A key part of any solution rests, of course, on budgetary allocations. The authorities concerned are clearly remiss if, after 10 years, no urgent effort is made to bid for funds to repair dangerous road stretches.
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