Lau (left) observes as a drone is about to be deployed to do a traffic study, together with Tai (second right) and his team.
SIBU: A study utilising drone technology took off at UCTS roundabout, which is one of the six bottlenecks here, yesterday.
United People’s Party (UPP) Community Service Board Sibu infrastructure and development committee chairman Lau Chai Hing said the study will be completed by year-end and recommendations will be submitted to Sibu Municipal Council (SMC).
He named the other five bottlednecks as Jalan Deshon-Jalan Teng Chin Hua- Persiaran Brooke, Jalan Deshon-Jalan Ling Kai Cheng, Ulu Sungai Merah Roundabout, Jalan Pedada-Jalan Oya-Jalan Wong King Huo, and Permai Junction.
“The traffic study, costing about RM300,000, will be fully borne by UPP Community Service Board Sibu.
“This is actually one of the exercises under Sibu Plan (RS) 1 spearheaded by our board chairman Dato Andrew Wong,” Lau told a press conference yesterday afternoon.
He added that they had engaged Jurutera Jasa (Sarawak) Sdn Bhd as the consultant to do the study.
“They (Jurutera Jasa) had conducted a preliminary survey some three weeks ago. They are now coming up with the drones to collect the database for the few areas that we have identified, which have serious traffic jams especially during peak hours.
“With all the data collected, they are going to formulate a recommendation on the study – the traffic flow in Sibu and
the congested areas that we identified. We are going to hand over this proposal to SMC to rectify the traffic situation in Sibu because some of the areas are having serious traffic congestion,” added Lau.
Wong, on the other hand, explained that this was not just a simple traffic study as, upon the recommendation from their consultant, they will be doing a very detailed survey.
“The consultant will take into account what are the utilities that are involved if the widening of roads becomes necessary,” he said.
According to Wong, they will be doing a cost estimation so that they will know how much money to ask for, although the figure must be reasonable.
He pointed out the traffic study was one of the projects under RS1, running from 2018 till 2022.
Meanwhile, Jurutera Jasa director Tai Lee Yoon said they will continue the video feed (from the drone) of each junction for two hours to know the maximum hour flow (peak hour flow).
He stated: “And from the peak hour flow, we will project this for the next five, 10 to 15 years for future traffic flow. From there, we will do a concept engineering plan and costing and also options, as well as deter out the phasing of the construction because we don’t do too much at one go.
“We may start widening the road first and maybe do shallow underpass later. We will use more of a concept of shallow underpass because most of the traffic is only motor cars – they are not big vehicles like buses and lorries.
“We will have a shallow underpass for only cars and bikes, and lorries can use the top, and you can see this shallow pass built in Third Mile Kuching.”
According to Tai, they will be using this concept to solve problems, especially in urban Sibu, where most of the vehicles experiencing traffic jam are only cars and bikes.
“We will adopt this concept for those junctions that need improvement works and no reserve land on the side.
“The whole master plan for these six junctions will be given to UPP, in which they will try to source for funds to implement it in stages to alleviate the suffering of Sibu people at these six junctions,” Tai said.