Feature image credit: Mikechie Esparagoza @ pexels
Traffic conditions in Kuala Lumpur have worsened since pre-pandemic times. If it was a norm to sit in god-awful traffic at peak hours before, it’s worse than ever now, according to the keen observation of Tomtom.
Tomtom is a website that records traffic conditions in 404 cities across the world using navigation devices, in-dash systems, and smartphone data.
At 8 am on the 3 of June 2022, the traffic in Kuala Lumpur was 59% more congested than the average level. At 6 pm on the same day, there was 110% more traffic than average. This is a rise from the pre-pandemic levels of 57% and 99% respectively.
Here are the data for 3 June, 2 June, and 1 June of the years 2019, 2021, and 2022. June 2019 was the pre-pandemic era. We were actively battling COVID-19 during June 2021, so a large percentage of employees were working from home (WFH) then. Now, in June 2022, most employees are back in the office.
Notice the change in traffic volume. You’ll notice that traffic now is generally heavier than pre-pandemic levels.
Reddit has weighed in on this phenomenon. (Grammar and spelling of comments have been edited for clarity.)
TambunInvasion said, “Worked in KL and PJ before. I woke up feeling energised. Spent 1 hour in a jam on the way to the office. It was worse if there was an accident or flood, which means another 1 to 2 hours in the jam. Reached the office as a brain-dead, unmotivated worker. Glad that I’m out of that place as my company decided on a WFH culture from pre-COVID until now. Occasionally, I attend office meetings, and I would have to leave by 5.30 am so that there is zero risk of getting into a traffic jam.”
TambunInvasion is fortunate that his company allows WFH. Not everybody is as lucky. SheenTStars wrote, “I don’t understand why our company is forcing us to go back. Geez. Gonna keep my resume updated.”
filanamia commented, “Private businesses that saw no downturn in performance the whole 2 years of WFH are also asking all the employees to go back to the office for zero reasons. G*dd*mn it’s depressing losing 3hrs of my life in a f*cking car every day.”
I feel you, bro.
Another user, karlkry, said, “I remember covid made loans for cars more accessible to people so more cars on the road now.”
In response, hummingbird0209 remarked, “Don’t forget the 10k EPF withdrawal too.”
What about solutions?
Certain politicians came up with a brilliant idea to build more roads.
The following comic strip represents how some netizens feel about the suggestion.
On Reddit, responses to the comic trip started pouring in.
drteddy70 said, “Sounds like the US Republicans’ solution to the mass shooting in the country: more guns. For the Malaysian politicians, the solution to traffic jams is more roads so more people will drive their cars.”
Fensirulfr contributed, “To be fair, if the jam is caused by poor flow in only one junction, then changing it to a different interchange (e.g. stack interchange) may be the solution. But in KL, even the local roads are jammed, and the idea of road hierarchy seems to be non-existent.”
Human_Adept made suggestions that many of us might agree with, “Reduce traffic jams by 1) Work from home, 2) Public transport (punctual trains and buses), 3) Walkable city (Shaded walk areas, smaller roads for cars, open rent-free stalls for mid-walk drinks and snacks for daytime walkers).”
Im_a_badbot had an interesting suggestion, “Build a tram system. Connect every township, the tamans, and housing areas. That way people don’t need to drive to go anywhere. Abolish the bus system anyway as it is not conducive anymore. Tram is always the best urban transportation method. Now, people have to drive as there is no way for them to move around without their car.”
The traffic condition in Kuala Lumpur is a complex problem with multiple layers. It won’t be solved overnight. Human_Adept’s suggestion to improve public transport and improve the walkability of KL sounds like a good start. What do you think?
Chow Ping Lee is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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