The Most Confusing Road Signs
I totally agreed that Malaysia road signs is very Confusing and Not Totally Reliable.
This is in fact defeat the purposes of having road signs at the first place.
You can take a drive to Putrajaya and experience yourself. Just make sure your Car’s petrol is on Full Tank.
The worst thing in some place a Wrong Turn would cost you a Bomb in Toll money.
Therefore it is a Good idea to invest in a GPS system or study your destination route to save time, money and hassle.
Badly planned signboards leave motorists dazed and confused
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JUST start a conversation on the mind-boggling road signs in Malaysia and you are bound to get more than you bargained for.
Malaysian road users are no stranger to confusing signboards that either leave you stranded half way or take you on a journey that can even stretch inter-state if you’re unlucky.
And, let’s not get started about the lack of signboards at crucial junctions and forks in the road.
Recently, we took a ride to various parts of Selangor and Putrajaya and ended up returning dazed and confused.
Double vision: There are several signboards showing the way to Kuala Lumpur near the LCCT.
1) Left or right? — Kajang and Sungai Long
If you are coming from the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) or Putrajaya, the South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) is one of the options for heading into Kajang or Sungai Long. However, as you approach Sungai Ramal, there are two signboards for Kajang. The left one reads Kajang, Sg Long, Saujana Impian and Cheras while the one on the right says Sungai Long, Kajang and Semenyih. Motorists have only a split second to make their choice before slamming into the divider.
Tip: If you keep right, you will have to pay a RM1 toll to head to Kajang.
2) Meandering journey — Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi to Putrajaya
To get to Putrajaya from Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi, we followed a sign that indicated straight for Putrajaya. After 10km, there was no sign to indicate if we should keep left or right. As we approached a T-junction, there was still no mention of Putrajaya. The sign only stated to take left for Dengkil and Kajang or right for Sepang, Nilai and KLIA. We took the left and ended up on a trunk road, passing by the Malaysian Institute of Aviation Technology in Dengkil. It took us more than 50km just to reach Putrajaya, which is only about 30km from Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi.
3) Which way to Kajang? — KLIA to Puchong
Confusing: There are two directions for Kuala Lumpur on these signs but the one on the left will lead drivers to Shah Alam first.
The inner road from KLIA via Dengkil and Kota Warisan also leads to Cyberjaya, Putrajaya and Puchong. However, along the way there is a signboard to Kajang. Be forewarned that motorists on this route will eventually end up in Bangi instead of Kajang. The road traverses Desa Pinggiran Putra and the Diplomatic Precinct in Putrajaya, adding an extra 27km to an otherwise straightforward journey.
Tip: Give the first turn-off to Kajang a miss and take the second loop. Saves you time and fuel.
4) Costly Trip — Bandar Tun Hussein Onn to Putrajaya
From Bandar Tun Hussein Onn, there is a sign to Putrajaya that takes you on to the Silk Highway. It is, however, the longer route and one which forces motorists to pay three tolls. At RM1 each, you’re RM3 poorer per trip.
There is actually a shorter and toll-free alternative if you head to Seri Kembangan and then turn onto Jalan Putra Permai to get to Putrajaya.
Tip: The only setback to the toll-free route is the congestion at Seri Kembangan with no solution still in sight.
To stop or not to stop: Putrajaya motorists are occasionally stuck on whether to follow the sign or the traffic light.
5) To Stop or Not To Stop — Putrajaya traffic lights
Traffic regulations require motorists to stop at red lights, even if there is a “Beri Laluan” or Give Way sign up ahead. Often, confusion abounds at selected traffic lights in Putrajaya where motorists are honked at for obeying this rule. Traffic lights take precedence. In Precinct 9, the lights are before a school so it is a double precaution for motorists to slow down. Sadly, this is an infrequent scenario and many a time, schoolchildren have narrowly missed being hit.
Suggestion: Blinking yellow lights should be installed.
6) Merry-go-round — Sepang
As you exit the Sepang F1 circuit and go along Jalan Pekeliling, you’ll come to a roundabout that has two signs to Kuala Lumpur. So which one do you take?
Tip: Invest in a GPS system or Google your route to save time and hassle.
from:thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/12/7/central/5242658&sec=central
There are more confusing signboards
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In reference to your story on confusing signboards, I would like to highlight a few other examples:
Along the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) heading towards Kepong, if one were to follow the signboard after Bandar Utama that shows Damansara Perdana, one will end up on the Penchala link, heading towards Hartamas, paying two tolls and wasting precious time.
This is because the sign has not been changed to reflect the new situation after the Penchala Link was constucted a few years ago.
The signboard along the New Klang Valley Expressway, leading to the Subang SkyPark has a small arrow showing left but a larger symbol of a plane flying from left to right. Since the plane symbol is larger, people tend to take the right fork at the junction. Can we get PLUS to ensure that the plane on the signboard be shown pointed to the left as well?
Along the LDP towards Puchong due to poor signage, a motorist unfamiliar with the route will end up paying three tolls instead of one.
Travelling from Jalan Duta to Damansara Utama most of the signs will send you to the Penchala Link and you will end up paying toll.
In Klang, some signboards are hidden from view and some are unlit at night. With the current road work in Klang town, it is maze for visitors trying to exit. If one were to faithfully follow the signs, one will end up going in circles.
On the daily traffic congestion at the junction of Jalan Damansara and LDP, where road work is expected to continue until the end 2010, I suggest the authorities create a small dedicated lane at the junction of Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad and Jalan SS20/10 to permit free flow of traffic from Jalan Damansara onto the LDP heading towards Puchong.
This little spot is just outside the boundary of the LDP cocessionare, so it needs the atention of the Malaysian Highway Authority.
RESIDENT, Damansara Utama.
from:thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2009/12/15/central/5254623&sec=central
Putrajaya has the most confusing road signs. It is like driving in Mars.
Directional signs will make driving a breeze in Cyberjaya
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WELCOME to Cyberjaya. The next time you drive into the cybercity, well-planned and easy-to-read directional signs will help you find your way around easily.
These signs will guide visitors to unfamiliar places, which can be an office building, bus terminal or any other important landmarks in the city.
Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) president Azizan Mohd Sidin said these easy-to-read signs would help solve the challenge of having to locate a specific destination as it served as tenant directories in improving traffic flow.
Two of the four gantries proposed for Cyberjaya, each costing about RM130,000 are already in place along Jalan Persiaran APEC, one close to the MDeC, a landmark building and another at the junction of Persiaran APEC-Jalan Semarak Api.
Azizan said two more gantries would be up in the near future and one would definitely be erected at the Persiaran APEC-Persiaran Rimba Permai junction, which is the main entry point into Cyberjaya.
He said the RM400,000 gantry would span the whole six-lane carriageway fronting the Dell Global Business Centre and the fire station while the fourth gantry would be in Jalan Persiaran Tasik.
“The use of directional signs not only reinforces the property’s image, the signage also helps direct traffic and control parking,’’ he said in an interview.
Presently some road shoulders are “littered” with directional signboards put up in the early development stage of the township, prompting the council to come up with a better planned signboards.
“The individual directional signboards put up by companies would be removed in stages as and when proper signs are put up by the council and in certain locations by Cyberview Sdn Bhd, the landowners of Cyberjaya.
Cyberview are also working together with us in making the city more conducive for foreign investors,’’ said Azizan.
Before the two gantries and directional signs were up, there were more than 70 company directional signages placed along road shoulders, some obscured by bigger ones.
So far, 21 have been removed as company names were included on the council’s signages in the areas they are located.
He said the main development thrust was to provide a quantum leap for Cyberjaya to become a leading multimedia hub attracting world-class media and IT companies.
Azizan said entities like the HSBC M’Sia, Multimedia University (MMU), CBD Perdana and MDeC, would not be placed on directional signages since they were landmark buildings.
“For new companies that want to have their names on the directional signages, a minimal annual fee will be imposed by the council,” said Azizan.
When asked about the Cyberjaya’s Re-zoning Structure Plan (CRSP) which was passed during the council’s One-Stop-Centre (OSC) meeting in November 2008, Azizan said since only 30% of Cyberjaya’s landbank was developed, the council would propose setting up the new signages where there is much development.
The re-zoning structure plan in the intelligent city is for easy identification of companies in the zone where they are located and also for accurate postal delivery.
“We have 12 zones but not all of them are developed.
“Therefore, there is no point in putting up a CRSP or Area Identification Signage (AIS) at vacant zones.
“Even if there is one development in a new zone, we will put up a sign as and when a need arises,’’ said Azizan.
The 12 zones will be identified as Cyber 1 to Cyber 12, similar to the Precincts in Putrajaya. As an example, the council headquarters, which is located in Cyber 1, will share the same CRSP/AIS as the Community Clubhouse and the Cyberpark, so the MPSp address would henceforth be Majlis Perbandaran Sepang, Persiaran Semarak Api, Cyber 1, 63200 Cyberjaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan.
The other addresses are: Cyber 3 (LimKokWing University, Satellite Farm, Measat); Cyber 4 (MKN Embassy, TM Net 2, TM Net, Ericsson, HSBC 2, HSBC, EBI); Cyber 5 (BMW, Fujitsu System, EB2, DHL, Glamorous Matrix, Prima 7, Prima Avenue, FSBM, CSP); Cyber 6 (District Cooling Plant, MCMC, Fire Station, City Command Centre, Sports Arena, SME 1, SME 2, Mustapha Kamal Building, NTT R&D Centre, EB3, Shell, Century Square, MDeC); Cyber 7 (Cyber Height Villa, Sekolah Seri Puteri, Flagship Village 1, Cyberview Garden, Setia Haruman, Cyberview Lodge Spa & Resort); Cyber 8 (Police Station), Cyber 9 (Cyberia Crescent, Smart School, Telecom); Cyber 11 (Universiti Multimedia, Cyberia, STP-A); and Cyber 12 (Neo Cyber, D’Cassia Apartments, D’Melor Apartments, Bus Terminal, CBD Perdana).
fr:thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/1/11/central/5443949&sec=central
Council rapped over road signs
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) has come under fire for shoddy and inconsistent translation of road signs in the state.
A reader of The Star Andrew Yong recently wrote to the newspaper to criticise the council for not doing the job properly and wasting ratepayers’ money.
“The most embarrassing thing of all is when MPPP wrongly translates the names of the roads that surround its City Hall building.
“Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah has been translated as Esplanade Road when surely the council should know that Esplanade Road is actually Jalan Padang Kota Lama (where City Hall is located),” he wrote.
Yong said Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah is in fact a combination of three roads — the Esplanade (the section north of the Esplanade field), Fort Road (the section east of Fort Cornwallis) and a new section of the road west of Duke Street (Lebuh Duke).
He also hit out at the council for leaving the “signages in an inconsistent mess”.
“Has the MPPP given up adding the English names to the replacement road signs?
“For example, why is Burma Road in English but the adjoining Burma Crescent (Lengkok Burma) left untranslated? Why is Jalan D.S. Ramanathan translated as Scott Road while the nearby Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman is denied the equally historic name of Ayer Rajah Road?” he asked.
Penang Heritage Trust (PHT) treasurer Lim Gaik Siang said Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah’s translation in English — Esplanade Road — had led to confusion among the public and tourists.
“The signboard, erected in 2007, is incorrect because the translation for Esplanade Road is Jalan Padang Kota Lama,” she said.
State Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow however insisted that Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah was correctly translated.
“We’ve put up two signages for the road — each bearing a different English translation because Jalan Tun Syed Sheh Barakbah is made up of Fort Road (from the clock tower to the Yacht Club) and Esplanade Road (from the Yacht Club to City Hall).
“Duke Street is not part of the stretch,” he said.
He said the council decided against translating all the road signs on the island as it would be a waste of resources.
“There is no point translating if the names sound similar in both languages. We are now concentrating on the city’s heritage area.
“However, we are still open to public views,” he said.
fr:thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/1/28/nation/5556893&sec=nation
Cyberjaya signages finally up
AFTER more than a year, the Re-zoning Structure Plan (CRSP) for Cyberjaya was finally completed last week.
The CRSP signages were passed during the council’s One-Stop Centre (OSC) meeting on Nov 26, 2008 and were supposed to be put up by the end of last year.
Sepang Municipal Council (MPSepang) president Azizan Mohd Sidin said that with the signages in place, it would be easier for visitors to locate companies in the respective zones. The move was also for the purpose of accurate postal delivery.
“The CRSP signages in place are similar to the precinct signages in Putrajaya, aimed at providing a structure plan for development in the area,” Azizan said.
Azizan added that before the system was implemented, companies in Cyberjaya placed their own signages along the road shoulders, which spoilt the landscape of particular areas.
“The CRSP provides the city with a proper zoning pattern from Cyber 1 to Cyber 12. There are 12 zones but only 10 signages have been put up as Cyber 10 and Cyber 2 are still not developed,” Azizan said.
Earlier this month, Azizan had said that since only 30% of Cyberjaya’s landbank was developed, the council would propose putting up the new signages where there was much development and therefore there was no point in putting up a CRSP or Area Identification Signage (AIS) in vacant zones.
Presently Cyber 4 to Cyber 7 and Cyber 12 are the most developed zones.
As the local authority, the Sepang Municipal Council building is located in Cyber 1.
The other addresses are: Cyber 3 (LimKokWing University, Satellite Farm, Measat); Cyber 4 (MKN Embassy, Emerio Headquarters, IBM, TM Net, TM Net 2, CUCCMS, Ericsson, HSBC 2, HSBC, Enterprise Building 1, Quill, JPA): Cyber 5 (Cyber 5 (BMW, Fujitsu System, Enterprise Building 2, DHL, Glamorous Matrix, Prima 7, Prima Avenue, FSBM, CSF, Hewlett Package, Satyam, Prima 8, JPJ, Bank Negara ICT Centre, Prima 9-11, SPAN); Cyber 6 (District Cooling Plant, MCMC, Fire Station, City Command Centre, Sports Arena, SME 1, SME 2, Mustapha Kamal Building, NTT R&D Centre, Enterprise Building 3, Shell, Century Square, MDeC, CFS Data Centre, Lucky Cottage Showroom, Satyam Campus Development, Petronas, IMPACT): Cyber 7 (Cyber Height Villa, Sekolah Seri Puteri, Flagship Village 1, Cyberview Garden, Setia Haruman, Cyberview Lodge Spa & Resort, Perdana Lakeview West, Perdana Lakeview East); Cyber 8 (Police Station, DELL, Basis Bay Headquarters), Cyber 9 (Cyberia Crescent, Smart School, Telecom); Cyber 11 (Universiti Multimedia, Cyberia, STP-A); and Cyber 12 (Neo Cyber Domain, D’Cassia Apartments, D’Melor Apartments, Bus Terminal, CBD Perdana, CBD Perdana 2, Street Mall, CUC Medical Centre).
fr:thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2010/1/29/central/5558359&sec=central
Yes it is most confusing and dreadful for motorcyclist. Many time i stretched along roads due to confused signboard inside KL, on way to Putrajaya, inside Cyberjaya, worst to and in Shah alam.
Proper signboards to guide motorists to Ipoh
IPOH: Improvements will be made to signboards along the northbound stretch of the North-South Expressway leading to the Ipoh Selatan toll exit.
State Public Works Department director Datuk Ir Dr Safry Kamal Ahmad said the improvements would be based on the observations made by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, who visited the stretch yesterday.
“Efforts will be made to ensure the signages are comprehensive and sufficient to pre-warn motorists on the correct lane to turn off to Ipoh. We will make sure the signages are not confusing or misleading,” said Dr Safry Kamal.
Sultan Azlan Shah’s visit comes amid concerns expressed by a reader of The Star that motorists were not given sufficient warning before the turn off to the city centre.
The reader had complained about having to drive all the way to Kuala Kangsar, some 50km away, in order to make a U-turn back to Ipoh because he did not know that he had to keep to the left lane before the toll exit.
In the letter published yesterday, the reader claimed that there was no overhead signage to alert motorists to the lane change.
Accompanied by PLUS Expressways Bhd officials, Ipoh City Council secretary Datuk Abdul Rahim Md Ariff and Dr Safry Kamal, the Sultan spent about an hour inspecting the stretch of road — stopping at each of the 11 signboards and gantry and making recommendations for improvements.
Dr Safry said PLUS Expressways officials were given seven days to prepare drawings of the changes and additions to be made. “In all, it will take two weeks for everything to be in place.”
fr:thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/7/10/nation/6638686&sec=nation
Motorists in Putrajaya find it difficult to rely on signages
Driving in Putrajaya can be a pleasant experience as the road islands and dividers are adorned with attractive landscaping and artistic streetlights adding to the scenery.
Some bridges adopt the futuristic look while some, like Jambatan Seri Perdana, reflect the local culture.
Known for their architectural grandeur, the buildings that house different ministries and government departments are also a sight to behold.
However, all these do not matter at all when one is struggling to find his way around Putrajaya.
Many motorists, especially first-time visitors, complained that the traffic signages in the administrative capital are confusing, resulting in a waste of time whenever they visit Putrajaya.
For example, at one particular exit in Persiaran Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, the “oval road” of Putrajaya, a road sign points towards Precinct 7 and 10.
However, another road sign at the same junction says Precinct 7 to 11 instead.
P. Yogarajah, who seeks treatment at the Putrajaya Hospital once a month, lamented that it was not easy to find his way out of Putrajaya.
“I am lost the moment I leave the junction in front of the Putrajaya Hospital. I do not see signboards that direct me to Puchong or Petaling Jaya.
“I just have to drive around and try to look for landmarks that I am familiar with. Once, it took me almost two hours to get back to Klang,” he said.
The 57-year-old added that motorists should be able to rely on the road signs to get to their destinations.
S. Sivagami, 30, recalled a painful experience that led her all the way to Kajang when she wanted to visit the Maritime Centre in Putrajaya for a dragon boat race training.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to turn right at one particular junction because there was no road sign.
“I went straight, followed the signboard to Kuala Lumpur and arrived in Kajang,” the lawyer said.
She observed that the signboards in Putrajaya that point towards Kuala Lumpur took the motorists onto different highways.
“They don’t tell you which highway it is and every time I end up using a different way back to Kuala Lumpur,” she said.
Precinct 16 resident Norhana Osman Haron, 38, said it was indeed not easy to find her way around Putrajaya when she first moved there five years ago.
“I tried to read the signboards and memorised the route and then experimented with different routes to find alternatives,” she said.
She noted that there were many ways to get to a destination in Putrajaya, and that the signboards were quite useful.
However, her friends and relatives who visited her used to complain that they could not find her house.
“I would always give them the directions beforehand, and point out prominent landmarks such as Alamanda Shopping Centre and Masjid Putra.
“But nowadays most of them use their GPS navigation devices and no one calls me for directions anymore,” Norhana said.
Another motorist said according to the road signage at the interchange of Lebuh Sentosa and Persiaran Utara in Putrjaya, she could either go straight or turn left to head towards Precinct 8 to 17.
She said she decided to head straight but unfortunately none of the subsequent road signs had “Precinct 8” on it.
She said she continued to travel along Lebuh Sentosa, went underneath the interchange of Lebuh Sentosa and Lebuh Wawasan, drove on Jambatan Seri Saujana and ended up in Precinct 4, where the Attorney-General Chambers and a few other ministries are located.
Unknown to her, she had already passed Precinct 8 on her left because she had relied solely on the road signs to show the way to Precinct 8.
She said she should have turned left at the interchange of Lebuh Sentosa and Lebuh Wawasan.
The experience proved to her that it can be tricky to find your destination in Putrajaya without a general idea of the locations of the precincts in Putrajaya.
Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) city planning director Omairi Hashim has some advice for motorists.
“First of all, they should take note of which precinct their destination is located in.
“Secondly, do not speed, or else they cannot read the signage clearly,” he said.
Thirdly, it helps if the motorists can identify a few important landmarks in Putrajaya, such as the Prime Minister’s Office and Masjid Putra.
“It is easier to give directions from a landmark that most people are familiar with,” Omairi said.
Fourthly, maps always come in handy when visitors are looking for a specific place in Putrajaya.
Navi Map has produced a street map for Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.
The map provides a clear picture of the geographical location of all the precincts in Putrajaya.
Besides a list detailing the location of various ministries, the map also features photos of prominent buildings, parks and bridges in Putrajaya.
PPj meets Navi Map regularly to provide the latest information on the development in Putrajaya so that the map can be updated accordingly.
Omairi lamented that the public cannot find a place just by coming into the capital and start to look around.
“The construction of Putrajaya started in October 1996. In June 1999, the Prime Minister moved to Putrajaya. Back then, the development was confined to Precinct 1, and progressively, other parts of Putrajaya were developed, too. We put up the road signs according to the progress of the development,” he said, explaining that several departments work together in putting up the road signs.
“The City Planning Department decides what to do next, the Transport and Traffic Department studies in detail on where to put up the signboards, while the Road Implementation Department is in charge of constructing the signages,” he said.
A road sign should not be too close or too far from a junction and should not be blocked by trees.
It has to be constructed according to the technical specifications — font size, colour and type — set by the Public Works Department.
Omairi added that PPj also adhered to the Signage and Advertisement Design Guidelines (SADG) to promote a self-guiding system in Putrajaya.
“The guidelines spell out certain criteria with regards to the road signage. For instance, we can display five lines of information on the sign if the speed limit of the road is 80km/h.
“Accidents might happen if a motorist slows down to read the sign with too much information,” he said.
As such, PPj has to be selective on what can be included on the signs.
“We need to provide directions to popular destinations like the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, Prime Minister’s Department, government complexes, police stations and hospital.
“Temporary signages are put up to direct visitors to new buildings,” Omairi said.
The road signs are part of the traffic dispersal strategy, to divert motorists to different roads to better manage the traffic.
“For instance, there are signs to direct the public to take alternative roads to different parcels in Putrajaya,” Omairi said.
fr:thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/2/29/central/10795646&sec=central