Kota Kinabalu: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Vice President Sim Fui has proposed that safety barriers, such as safety bollards, be installed in front of shops to prevent vehicles from crashing into premises.
He made the proposal following an incident early Tuesday in which a Perodua Kancil crashed into a coffee shop, as shown in a video that went viral on social media on Oct 6.
Daily Express reported that the Kancil crashed into the coffee shop at Bornion Commercial Centre, near Foh Sang, at about 6.30am on Tuesday, injuring two people, including a 50-year-old woman, and causing losses of more than RM2,500.
A 45-year-old man who was driving the car said he had not pulled the handbrake before the car suddenly accelerated into the shop.
Apart from promoting safe driving, Sim said greater attention should also be given to road and commercial-area design to provide a “second line of defence” against such accidents.
“Many coffee shops, restaurants and retail premises have parking bays and pedestrian walkways directly in front of them.
“If a driver accidentally steps on the accelerator, loses control of the vehicle or is involved in a collision, the vehicle could cross the parking area and walkway and crash directly into the premises, putting customers and pedestrians at risk.
“Hence, I am suggesting that Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) review high-footfall areas where shops directly face roads and consider installing crash barriers, safety bollards or other appropriate protective structures between parking bays and shopfronts,” he said.
He said the public and authorities cannot assume that every vehicle will always remain under control.
“Urban design should provide another layer of protection for pedestrians when human error occurs,” he said.
Sim, who is also LDP Api-Api division chief, said such barriers could not only provide protection when a vehicle loses control but also help define proper parking boundaries.
He said this was particularly relevant for longer pickup trucks and commercial vehicles, whose rear sections may extend beyond parking bays and obstruct pedestrian walkways, sometimes forcing pedestrians to walk onto the road.
He said appropriately positioned barriers or bollards could make parking boundaries clearer to motorists and reduce the problem of vehicles extending too far into pedestrian areas.
Sim further proposed that the Government consider incorporating protective barriers between commercial parking bays and pedestrian walkways into the planning and building requirements for new developments.
“This would ensure that developers include appropriate safety measures from the design stage instead of introducing them only after accidents occur,” he said.
He said new commercial areas, markets, food and beverage centres and integrated developments should take into account the risks of vehicles losing control, longer vehicles protruding beyond parking bays and pedestrian safety when designing parking facilities.
He added that relevant authorities should also establish basic safety standards for such developments.
“If safety measures are incorporated into the design from the beginning, the additional cost may not be significant. But if we wait until an accident happens before taking action, the price we pay could be the safety of our people.”Sim stressed that the proposal did not mean installing barriers indiscriminately in front of every shop.
Instead, he said such facilities should be introduced based on road width, parking design, pedestrian volume and other relevant conditions, while maintaining a reasonable balance between parking, passenger pick-up and drop-off, and pedestrian access.
He hoped DBKK would not only review existing high-risk commercial areas but also work with the relevant planning and development authorities to establish appropriate safety standards for new developments, ensuring that roads, parking bays and pedestrian walkways are designed with a more comprehensive approach to public safety from the outset.
