Problems

INTRODUCTION

The focus of this study is to find out the problems and the factors contributing to traffic congestion at SM SMJA. The school-related traffic congestion overcrowds and blocks streets around the school areas caused by car transportation of children to and from school when children are dropped off and picked up from school

PROBLEMS OF TRAFFIC CONGESTION

From our observations and suggested problems (in the survey questionnaire administered) to the problems of traffic congestion in SM SMJA, found the following results:

A) Environmental aspects

The questionnaire administered found that there are agreements amongst parents that these cause traffic congestion around SM SMJA:

· They idle because they like to stay in cool, airconditioning cars.

· Air pollution caused by transportation has great effects to them and their children, yet they still do not turn off their engines while waiting.

B) Infrastructure (governance, politics, legal system) aspects

From the observation, shows that these might cause congestion in SM SMJA:

· Narrow streets

· Double to triple parking along the road of the school and parking on both sides of the road

· Less space to manoeuvre around the school.

The questionnaire administered found that there are agreements amongst parents that these cause traffic congestion around SM SMJA:

· The public transports are not safe and reliable for children to use

· Inadequate loading and unloading area for buses around the school, this could risk the safety of their children, have caused the parents to discourage their children to go to school by bus.

· Public transports are not available at my area during certain time.

· They will not let their children to go with someone they do not trust, hence this discourages them to ask their children to use public bus.

C) Social and Cultural Aspects (culture, Tradition, Beliefs and Attitudes)

Questionnaire administered found that:

· Most of the students live far from the school which made it quite impossible for them to walk to school. Parents sent their children to SM SMJA because it was easy for them drop off their children regardless of where they live.

· Parents prefer to drop off their children to school on the way to work.

· Parents are concerned with the safety of their children when they walked to school.

D) Economical Aspects

An interview with an officer at the Land Transport Department, found that:

· There is currently no limit on the number of big cars in Brunei, as this would affect the commercial sector. Currently, small cars tend to be the top selling as the price is low.

· Low fuel prices encourage locals to use private cars rather than using public transport. This is possibly why Brunei has a high rate of fuel consumption.

The questionnaire administered found that:

· Most parents are unsure with the economical aspects of the problems.

· Most of the parents disagree when asked regarding time spent to send and pick up their children.

· Parents still prefer to send their children by car as opposed to using the bus or other as they are not willing to pay for monthly/annual charges that transportation.

SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.

From the suggested solutions (in the survey questionnaire administered) to the problems of traffic congestion in SM SMJA, found the following results:

A) Environmental Aspects

From questionnaire administered found that parents agree on the following suggested solutions to traffic congestion in SM SMJA:

· the government should strictly imposed regulations / fine for those who are stubborn and do not care for the environment

· to place policemen at schools during peak hours, or the security as to help check on parents who still idle and ask them politely to turn off their car engine

· school should provide an air pollution indicator

B) Infrastructure (governance, politics, legal system) Aspects

From questionnaire administered found that parents agree on the following suggested solutions to traffic congestion in SM SMJA:

· School to locate different parking area for parent, buses and the school teachers and other staffs to reduce traffic congestion in SM SMJA.

· School must extend drop-off and pick-up zones to decrease congestion and the school needs to employ a crossing guard for pedestrian routes.

· School to create additional temporary parking areas for buses and parents, and there should be no-parking zones to restrict street parking.

· The pedestrian routes from students’ areas to the school must be safe.

· Parents must seek other alternative direction to and from the school.

· School should erect “no-entry” signs on certain streets leading to the school during peak hours only.

· There should be a creation of one-way streets leading to the school during peak hours only.

· More police to presence and guard students who walk and cycle to school.

· Government support is needed to curb traffic congestion in SM SMJA.

C) Social and Cultural Aspects

Parents do not trust other people to send or pick-up their children to and from school. This led to parents not practicing carpooling as well as using school bus. According to the survey, the students themselves do not prefer to go walk to school. Female students are especially not encouraged by their parents to walk and even to go on a school bus. It can be concluded that parents’ attitudes towards traffic congestion in school is not easy to change especially when it has become a habit.

D) Economical Aspects

From questionnaire administered found that parents agree on the following suggested solutions to traffic congestion in SM SMJA:

· they can still afford to pay their road tax, if it is to be increased in order to solve the problem of traffic congestion in SM SMJA.

· Educate parents on calculating fuel efficiency as a way to manage their fuel consumption. However, parents are unsure of calculating fuel efficiency.

· they know about the Prius (the Japanese hybrid car uses lesser fuel and emits less toxic gas since the petrol engine kicks in only when it is needed) and what it can do

· whether to buy the car or not, in order to solve the problem of traffic congestion in SM SMJA.

ACTION PLAN

The group’s individual visions:

a) Environmental Aspects (Vision : A Proposal that SM SMJA will propose a School idle free policy)

b) Infrastructural Aspects (Vision: A Proposal that SM SMJA will conduct NO CAR Reward Programmes)

c) Social and Cultural Aspects (Vision: A Proposal that SM SMJA to Provide Safe Routes to School to Promote Students Who Live Within 5km From the School to Walk to and From School

d) Economical Aspects (Vision: A Proposal that SM SMJA to Increase the Percentage of students using school bus)

Before the group members work on the vision, the action that needs to be taken is for the group member to prepare the permission letter to be sent to the Principal of SM SMJA to conduct the project. Then the following action plans will be taken based on group’s individual vision:

· The proposal will be prepared, checked and approved by supervisor

· The Preparation of the powerpoint presentation of the reward programme (project members will conduct a meeting, sit together to discuss on the presentation)

· The group member will go the school and meet to discuss and gain support from the principal and the administrative staff in-charge on the programme.

· leaflets will also be prepared to be distributed to the students as well as parents.

ACTUAL ACTION PLAN

After all the members had come up with the individual visions, the writing up of individual action plan and proposal on the vision was prepared and presented to our supervisor, Dr. Irene. Some comments were made and the proposal was improvised before it can be presented to the Principal of SM SMJA. A power point presentation based on the individual proposal was also prepared. All the tasks were completed in mid March.

The group members then went to SM SMJA to brief Deputy Principal and asked permission to conduct a briefing regarding: the four visions and proposal. The DP has agreed and gave the member permission for the group members to: take pictures on the traffic congestion in SM SMJA; conduct a briefing regarding the presentation of the proposals; and distribute the questionnaires for students and parents of SM SMJA. A total of 200 questionnaires for students and parents, respectively, were distributed evenly throughout the five levels, Year 7 to Year 11 (40 questionnaires for each level). The completed questionnaires were collected and analysed using SPSS programmes. The presentation of the proposals to the Principal and teachers of SM SMJA was also being conducted. There were about 20 teachers attended the presentation. Informal discussions with the teachers were held right after the presentation. Leaflets were given to the teacher in-charge of the session. From the discussion and feedback from the teachers, they seem to be hesitant to implement the proposals. After the presentation, the Principal of SM SMJA was interviewed on the school’s traffic congestion.

EVALUATION ON THE ACTUAL ACTION TAKEN

1) Difficulties faced during the project:

Questionnaires

As time as inadequate, the project members just distribute the questionnaires to parents and students of the school. About 200 copies were made and distributed. When data from the questionnaires were analysed, the project member realised that some questions needed to answer our problems and solutions were missing. However, more than 70% of the total completed questionnaires have been returned to the project members. Fortunately, we had data from the surveys as well as discussions with teachers during the proposal presentation. The data somehow fill in the gaps of our report.

2) Barriers to the Project and the Solutions:

The unwillingness of the teachers to carry out the proposed actions. Due to the small number of students walking to school, the school did not provide the safety routes to school. By reflecting on the feedback given by the teachers, the reason could be due to the students’ residential areas where the students came from different places. Hence, not only one safety route should be provided but more – according to the residential area of each student who walked to school.

Time was stated as constriction as the teachers were also involved in other activities such as scanning the students for A H1N1 when the students arrived at school on daily basis. To solve this, guidelines as well as the safety routes should be prepared by the project member. The project member should take actions and briefed the students instead of asking the teachers and the school to do the actions. The project member can distribute the safety routes to the students during the briefing.

Other action that could be taken is to involve all stakeholders mainly to get strong support and guidance from the MOE for SM SMJA as well as other schools to implement the proposed actions. With the support from the principals and giving ample time for the teachers to take action on the proposals and to involve all stakeholders in the action - a whole school approach, the proposals could be done successfully in SM SMJA. This is because all the proposed actions on the problem of traffic congestion in SM SMJA have directly or indirectly involving the parents as well.

3) What did the group learn from doing this project?

The project members have learnt that it was difficult to actually ask other people to do what you planned. In order for the project to be successful, the project member themselves should work with the school to implement the project. To create awareness to the school community was easy but to actually implement it was difficult especially when no cooperation and support was gained from the teachers. The project also taught us on how to develop skills to conduct a community problem solving project. In addition, to involve community was difficult. But then, I believe if everything was provided, the school will be willing to execute the proposed action.