Capital's School Crush Ends In A Jam
By Ignatius Stephen

Bandar Seri Begawan - Massive jams as never before maddened motorists as relentless traffic piled up along roads leading towards the more than 10 schools huddled in the capital this week.

It was the first day rush of the new term on Thursday and the steady drizzle that fell throughout the day did not help.

Plans to relocate schools away from the capital center have remained merely as plans on paper to this day and so Bandar Seri Begawan has ended with a dozen schools located within half a mile radius of the capital center.

This has caused a horrendous traffic situation during school days.

The worst problem is the location of the Chung Hwa Middle School, which is just a stone's throw from the city center.

During school rush hour the whole stretches of roads around the school are so congested and clogged up that guests trapped at nearby Sheraton Hotel, for example, are some times unable leave to keep their appointments.

"I had an important date with a high personage at about 1 pm on Thursday. But I was detained in Sheraton because my transport could not leave on time, as there was no way of getting on the main road.

"I spent a lot of money to keep this business date but sadly I missed the opportunity," fumed a guest at the hotel yesterday.

Besides the Chung Hwa some of the other large schools that crowd the capital causing horrific problems to motorists are the SOAS, STPRI and SAMJA, St George's and St Andrews, Pusar Ulak, the Aribic Schools and others.

"It is a growing problem and something has to be done about it," complained a motorist.

There were plans to move some of the schools particularly St Georges and St Andrew's and the Chung Hwa to the outskirts. Land was earmarked in Sungei Akar and elsewhere.

At a meeting some years ago the shifting of SOAS and other schools were also mentioned.

The late Seri Begawan Sultan, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin, for example, after whom the SOAS was named would have liked to see the school moved and convert it into a massive modern library, naming it perhaps the SOAS Library as one of the largest in the region and a shining example of educational progress and learning center in the country.

But this idea probably privately discussed, never officially saw the light of day.

Some people are inclined to think that land, which the Chung Hwa and other schools vacate could be turned into public parks.

Bandar Seri Begawan needs more parks, like for instance London where open spaces and beautiful parks abound enhancing the quality of life and beauty of the city.

Besides the primary aim in relocating the schools is to solve traffic congestion but sticking more office blocks into the vacated lots may not make good the traffic problem, some townspeople commented.

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