Road change upsets motorists

One-way: Jalan 4/42A in Taman Sejahtera in Segambut, which was made one-way last month. Note the car going against the flow of traffic.

Source: http://thestar.com.my/

By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ (Monday June 8, 2009)

THE Duke Highway concessionaire’s sudden move to convert Jalan 4/42A in Taman Sejahtera, off Jalan Kuching, into a one-way street is causing much confusion among motorists in the area. The road, which had been a dual-way traffic for the last 20 years, was made one-way just last month, and road signs have been put up to inform motorists. However, residents were not informed or consulted before the change was made, and as a result, motorists have chosen to ignore the signboard and carry on using the road as before. More than 15,000 residents in Taman Sejahtera, Taman Kok Doh, Taman City, Kampung Pasir Segambut and Taman Lawa are affected by the change. Before the road change, motorists were allowed to turn out into Jalan 1/42A and those coming from Jalan Jambu Mawar and people coming from Jalan Duta could turn into Jalan 4/42A. Now, residents coming from Jalan Jambu Mawar and heading towards Jalan 1/42A cannot turn right into the street. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng questioned the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) about the matter through a letter. The DBKL informed him that the road was converted into a one-way street by the Duke Highway without referring to the City Hall. Lim said the DBKL, in its reply, also stated that it had instructed the Duke Highway concessionaire to prepare a traffic study on the road. “The Duke Highway (concessionaire) has committed an offence, and it cannot be allowed to get away with it. A week ago, we went to make a police report,” he said. Quoting the Road, Drainage and Building Act 1974, Lim said any one who erected or covered anything in a public place without the local authority’s consent could be arrested without a warrant by police officers. “The local authority also has the right to remove the signboards and charge the expenses to the concessionaire. “Even after the police report, no one took action, not even the police,” he said during a press conference on Friday.

Meanwhile Taman Sejahtera Komuniti Bestari vice-chairman Emran Hasbullah said the conversion of the road into a one-way street made it more accident-prone. “We are ignoring the signage and going to continue to use the road as we did before because it’s illegal and we were not even consulted about it. “We were not given alternative routes, but even if we had and we did follow them, it would have involved a 10-minute detour,” he said.