Call made to local councils to improve street-lighting at schools

SIBU (March 17): Local councils must take seriously the issue of insufficient lighting in front of schools, and carry out immediate action to improve street-lighting, including at zebra crossings.

According to Democratic Action Party (DAP) Sarawak committee member Stanley Chiew, many students have to cross the road every morning on their way to school.

“Although zebra crossings are available, some schools are located along roads with dim street-lighting and poor visibility, which poses a serious safety risk to the students.

“While some schools have arranged for security guards or teachers to assist in directing traffic and guiding students in crossing the road, these personnel are also exposed to the risk of accidents when the lighting conditions are inadequate,” he said in a statement on Monday.

“Students travel along the same route to school every day, yet the street-lighting remains dim for a long period of time. This situation should not be happening in the first place.

“If even the most basic road-lighting cannot be ensured, how can we talk about safeguarding students’ safety?” he added.

Additionally, Chiew said dim street-lighting not only threatened the safety of students, but also restricted the visibility of motorists when driving at night or in the early morning.

He cited the roads in front of SMK Sacred Heart, SMK St Elizabeth, SK Perbandaran No 4 and SMK Agama here as examples of the street-lighting being clearly insufficient.

“I believe there are many schools in the town area facing similar problems.

“The local councils should not wait until an accident occurs before taking remedial action; instead, they must proactively inspect and rectify the problem immediately.”

Chiew also highlighted a series of traffic accidents near school areas in recent times, which he described as ‘deeply concerning’.

He noted that in February this year, a woman was killed in an accident while crossing the road near Sibu Vocational College after delivering medicine to her 19-year-old daughter at night.

Last Friday, an accident occurred in front of SMK Tung Hua at Jalan Tun Abang Haji Openg, where a schoolgirl was knocked down by a pickup truck while crossing the road after school at noon.

“Students’ safety must never be put at risk. The relevant authorities must prioritise preventive measures rather than waiting until accidents happen before taking action,” Chiew emphasised.

He also reminded motorists to remain vigilant and to slow down when passing school zones, especially in the early morning and late afternoon.

Chiew also called upon Sibu Municipal Council and Sibu Rural District Council to begin replacing existing street-lights with LED lights along the roads in front of schools.

“If local councils face budget constraints, they also can apply for allocations from the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government,” he added.

Chiew, also the political secretary to Lanang MP Alice Lau, said based information obtained from the ministry, it had approved an allocation of RM41,841,540 earlier this year for 25 councils in Sarawak – including city, municipal and district councils – for the purpose of upgrading local infrastructure.

“In Sibu, several roads have also received federal funding for LED streetlight installations, including Jalan Lada, Jalan Tun Ahmad Zaidi Adruce, Jalan Then Kung Shuk, Jalan Pahlawan, and Jalan Old Oya.

“In this regard, I urge local councils to immediately conduct a comprehensive inspection and prioritise upgrading street lighting around schools, gradually replacing outdated streetlights with LED lights to enhance road safety,” he added.