As a resident of Kampong Sungai Tilong, I find it confusing that Jalan Muara isn’t a dual carriageway, especially given how populated the area is.
Just a few days ago, I was coming out of my simpang when I saw a long line of cars on the opposite lane. A car had broken down, and the driver was struggling to get it started again, with the help of her passenger. As I headed towards the Brunei International Airport, I was surprised by the magnitude of the traffic congestion caused by that very car. The roundabout near Manggis Mall was completely jammed packed with cars, and so are all the roads connected to it. Given that all the roads leading to the area are dual carriageways while Jalan Muara is a two-lane road, the infrastructure itself is prone to traffic bottleneck.
I’m sure the authorities are well-aware of the situation and are working around the clock to come up with a solution. But at the end of the day, I believe the issue lies in there being too many cars, with carpooling remaining a foreign concept to most of us.
Perhaps it is high time to embrace public transport. To do so would require a change in mindset. But who knows? With the increasingly pressing need to address climate change, we might find ourselves with very little choice but to make the shift soon.
Motor Blues
