LLM taken to task over misleading signboard

Thursday August 27, 2009

By GEETHA KRISHNAN

THE Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) has come under fire from Kajang Municipal councillors for refusing to remove a signboard leading roadusers on a longer route to Sungai Long via the Silk Highway and for forcing them to stop at three toll booths.

Councillor Tan Han Kuo, who sits in the council’s Infrastructure Committee, said LLM has been aware of the issue since December 2008 yet no action was taken.

“LLM can instruct the Silk Highway concessionaire to remove the signboard to Sungai Long en route to Kajang from Seremban, Putrajaya and the KL International Airport (KLIA) because motorists will have to travel 16.6km and pay RM3 in toll.

“The turning to Kajang at Exit 1807 also leads to Sungai Long but the sign is not prominently displayed. Why is this so when the route is only 8.8km and there is only one toll charging RM1?” asked Tan.

He proposed that the distance to Sungai Long be displayed on the signboards to prevent confusion to motorists and to give them the option to choose which route to take.

An incensed Tan said the committee had deliberated on the issue seven times but LLM representatives had only turned up for five of the meetings.

“There were no decision-makers present. What riled us most was the answer from the LLM that the Silk Highway is under-utilised and that the concessionaire will suffer more losses if roadusers do not travel the distance.

“Whose side is the LLM on? They are placing the interests of a private company over that of the public. How do we justify this to the taxpayers,” he asked.

An anonymous taxi driver who used the longer route to send his passengers to Sungai Long complained to Tan that the drive ate into his profit margin and forced roadusers to waste fuel and money.

He also said the sign to Sungai Long was meant to mislead motorists and that it was easy to miss the other sign which was partially hidden.

Efforts to get comments from LLM were futile.

MPKj demolishes illegal extensions in Bandar Sg Long

Friday August 21, 2009

Story by GEETHA KRISHNAN

FIFTEEN parking lots were recovered after a demolition exercise on illegal extensions were carried out by the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) in Bandar Sungai Long, Cheras, yesterday.

Pavements were built over the parking lots by two restaurant owners who operated from corner lot premises near Jalan Sungai Long and Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar).

About 30 enforcement personnel and two tractors were deployed for the exercise. Staff from the council’s Building Division and Engineering Section were also present.

MPKj enforcement officer Khaironi Idris said 18 notices and 17 compounds of RM1,000 each were issued to the restaurateurs by the council’s Building Division since 2008.

“Their failure to comply time and time again with our continuous notices and compounds has led us to take this proactive action. The most recent notice was issued on Aug 13.

“One restaurant owner heeded our warning by demolishing his side of the pavement last week but then he resurfaced the area with cement, depriving motorists of parking lots once again,” she said.

During the exercise, the owner was told to remove the signboard and cooking utensils placed in an illegal extension serving as a separate cooking area built over a drain.

The enforcement unit also moved in on an illegal car wash operating opposite the restaurants. Concrete slabs built over the main drain were drilled through and smashed to reveal a network of wires and cables below.

“This proves our theory that water and electricity were being supplied to the car wash operator from one of the restaurants. He denied doing so but we have ample evidence,” Khaironi said.

She added that when several enforcement officers came by some months ago to check on the illegal car wash operations there, they were accused of behaving aggresively.

She said her staff were threatened instead and the operator kicked one of the enforcement vehicles.