SCHOOLS are a major part of a child’s life and need to be a safe environment, both inside and around the compound.

Thus, as an organisation who advocates for safer streets, Bike Commute Malaysia is extremely thrilled by the Cabinet Committee on Road Congestion And Safety’s decision to better protect students by bringing speed limits around school zones to an enforceable 30km/h.

Its chairman, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced the policy change’s goal is to make streets safer around school zones and would also include physical road changes like adding of speed bumps by local authorities and schools.

He also revealed that a shocking 67 children were killed annually, on average, around school zones over the past ten years.

Building on this starting point, we implore the government to implement several additional measures as part of the mandatory 30km/h speed limit around schools.

Firstly, a specific enforceable fine is key to ensure this policy is taken seriously. The current 30 to 35km/h speed limit around schools prescribed by the Road Transport Department are merely guidelines and are thus “advisory” and unenforceable.

While the effectiveness of regulation hinges on strict and consistent enforcement, in creating safer streets, we cannot rely on enforcement alone.

We strongly believe in self-enforcing streets through safer street design to reduce speeds. As studies have shown, signages do not impact road user behaviour. Instead, creating streets that prevent drivers from speeding is key to saving lives on our streets.

Referencing the pilot school project at SK Danau Kota 2 in Taman Danau Kota, Kuala Lumpur, DBKL has already implemented a safer school street through design.

Supported by the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), several design measures were implemented such introducing raised crossings and reducing lane widths to slow vehicles down.

In addition to speed bumps as suggested by the DPM, measures taken include raised pedestrian crossings and narrower lane widths, which naturally reduce vehicle speeds while creating more space for children to walk.

Crossing distances were also shortened by extending the curb corners at intersections, minimising the time children are exposed to traffic and ensuring a safer journey to and from school.

These live saving designs were kept at low cost for SK Danau Kota 2, as an interim approach was taken in narrowing the street using flexible poles and curbs.

Comprehensive design techniques using visual and other sensory inputs to signal to drivers that they are entering an interactive, multimodal space.

On the SK Danau Kota 2 street, bright colours were painted on the street, creating a fun and bold patterned street and also plants also act as a visual signal to drivers.

This more holistic approach to safer speeds improves both the safety and experience of those using the street at school zones.

In the case of the Setapak school, this resulted in an observed increase in pedestrian and bicycle traffic, which can potentially address the issue of congestion in school zones.

Bike Commute Malaysia is pleased that the DPM has highlighted the importance of safer streets in school zones, and is committed to lowering the speed limit to 30km/h.

We hope that the authorities will also consider other speed management measures, especially through effective street design interventions. Speed limit reduction in school zones must include safer street design. - Sept 3, 2024

Nadhira Halim is the Project Manager at Bike Commute Malaysia (BCMY), an NGO that promotes low carbon mobility by advocating for safe and equitable street design for all users. 

https://focusmalaysia.my/speed-limit-reduction-in-school-zone-must-include-safer-street-design/