The on-going KL Sentral Traffic Dispersal Plan gives the impression that it is being done in haste to help ease the mess created by the overdevelopment of the area, without any foresight of the future by the developer and the authorities.

Some of the proposed packages may bring short-term benefit to traffic management but how long they will last is questionable.

Right from the first briefing conducted by the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister and the Kuala Lumpur mayor, there was strong resentment against the proposal to turn Jalan Tun Sambanthan and Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad into one-way traffic flows.

The new proposal to construct an elevated loop for Bangsar-bound traffic from the city – at the intersection
of Jalan Bangsar/Jalan Maarof, by linking up with the traffic via Medan Syed Putra Selatan (the existing exit road from MidValley City Centre), which links up with Jalan Maarof – caught many of us by surprise.

We have for several years been appealing to City Hall to construct direct ramps into Jalan Bangsar towards the city and Petaling Jaya for dispersal of the MidValley exiting traffic. Instead, something to the contrary has been planned.

Priority must be given to construct the direct ramps (so as to avoid vehicular traffic moving through a developed housing community) instead of routing the Jalan Maarof-bound traffic from the city through an elevated loop via Medan Syed Putra Selatan (exiting road from MidValley).

During peak periods, the outbound traffic from MidValley is heavy and will therefore cause greater hardship to traffic bound for Bangsar housing estates midway at Medan Syed Putra Selatan.

We wish to urge the city fathers to review the plan immediately and look towards:

1. A long term solution by linking up the existing LRT stations at Bangsar and Abdullah Hukum with good bus or tramp services, to serve the neighbouring housing estates, including Bangsar.
2. Efforts must be made to take traffic out from Bangsar housing estates at a faster pace, rather than bringing vehicular traffic at fast speed into the Bangsar housing community.
3. Construct an elevated ramp from the junction of Jalan Maarof / Jalan Penaga / Jalan Senduduk towards Jalan Damansara / Jalan Johar so as to move the traffic out at the junction of Jalan Damansara / Jalan Maarof/ Jalan Johar without holding up at traffic lights downhill.
4. Construct environment-friendly covered, lit and landscaped secured walkways from the LRT station at Bangsar to the housing estates of Bangsar as well as inter-connect the different housing estates with such similar facilities.

The funds will be well spent on suggestions stated above. These funds should also be used to reinstate
all the traffic lights throughout the city to ensure they are functioning and in working condition at all times.
Improve the drainage system, including ensuring the scupper drains are functional and are not decorative pieces to break the monotony along our city roads.

Take the bull by the horn, KL Mayor, and be a leader such as Mayor Jaime Lerner – who created the Curtiba Story – or the then Mayor of Seoul – who restored the river by removal of paved roadways.

The rakyat will be with you in the long run if it brings positive benefits for them.

 

M. Ali
Kuala Lumpur