KUALA LUMPUR: Netizens are urging parents to be more considerate when they drop off their kids at school.
This is because some of them tend to take their own sweet time at the pick-up and drop-off areas, resulting in traffic congestion.
An X user, Dean Syahzrain, said that he had to resort to taking his child to school on a motorcycle to avoid getting stuck in traffic.
"There are so many parents like this. Now, I ride a motorcycle. If I choose to drive, I will park my car further away and walk.
"Some parents even park their motorcycles in front of the school gate, making it difficult for students to move. It's like they're the only ones with a child," he said.
Another user, Zaeem Zainal, said some parents even parked their cars in the middle of the road and would wait until their child entered the school gates before driving off.
"There are parents who double park, leaving their cars in the middle of the road.
"They carry their child's bag, walk them to the school gate, deliver a message, hug and kiss them, then wait until their child is out of sight before getting back in the car and leaving," he said.
Syamira Norli said that the parents' selfish behaviour also resulted in the two-way traffic flow being changed into a one-way traffic flow, just because some opted to park near the school.
"Lately, the school management has put up signs to make it one-way, to avoid congestion," she said.
Some social media users also offered solutions to address the problem.
Izwan Izzat said this problem was difficult to solve unless the parents themselves set a good example.
"If you see someone in front doing that, just drop off your child behind them. Then, there's no need to queue to drop off your child," he said.
Another social media user, Kalida, believed that the school management should bear more responsibility and take steps to solve the issue.
"At my child's school, the teachers implement a drop-off system, with guards on duty.
"Only one car per minute is allowed for drop-offs. It really reduces congestion. Three teachers are on duty every morning," she said.
Some netizens compared the situation with that at several Chinese vernacular schools in their area. The most common practice was to drop off their children right in front of the school gate, and no parents are allowed to get out.
"The parents must be ready to say goodbye to their kids and hand them money for their expenses. When it's their turn to exit, the kids will leave the car immediately, thus reducing the congestion," said social media user Wawa.