RM200m for better roads, funds for resurfacing of tracks in KL next year will also be increased

AHMAD FUAD: Not all roads fall under City Hall’s jurisdiction

GAPING HOLE: Lim (2nd from left) indicates to the dangerous pothole at a parking lot behind Hong Leong bank at Jalan Segambut Utara
Photos & story from: http://www.mmail.com.my/content/86824-rm200m-better-roads (By MEENA LAKSHANA, 1/12/2011)
Kuala Lumpur City Hall will allocate RM200 million for road maintenance and resurfacing works next year. Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the council was taking seriously the rapid deterioration of roads around Kuala Lumpur in deciding to increase the allocation. “This year we assigned a total of RM117 million for road maintenance, out of which RM56 million was for road resurfacing,” he said during a press conference at City Hall headquarters in Jalan Raja Laut yesterday. “Next year, we are allocating an additional RM83 million for the exercise. Half of the (RM200 million) allocation will be specifically for road patching,” he said. Although City Hall were criticised by residents for the poor quality of roads in the city, Ahmad Fuad said not all roads fell under their jurisdiction. He said about 60 per cent of roads in the city which are in dire conditions were caused by utility companies conducting upgrading works at midnight without City Hall’s knowledge. Ahmad Fuad said the council had already informed the utility companies involved to use a new method called horizontal directional digging in their upgrading works.
“This technology uses a machine that digs underground sparing the entire stretch of road from damage,” he said. “Most utility companies complained it is three to five times more expensive than the conventional method. So far, only Gas Malaysia Berhad utilises the technology with Maxis about to start.”
Ahmad Fuad said City Hall also proposed to utility companies to set up a fund for road resurfacing works. “For the time being, only Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) had such a fund,” he said.
Ahmad Fuad said other contributing factors to bad road conditions included the rainy season, spillage of diesel and concrete on roads, as well as illegal digging of roads. He said out of 49 roads identified for resurfacing this year, a total of 37 roads were completed. This included Jalan Raja Laut, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Petaling, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Sentul, Jalan Damansara, Jalan Kepong, Jalan Pantai Baru, Taman Sri Petaling and Jalan Damansara. He said 10 other roads were in the midst of completion and City Hall was in the process of appointing contractors for the two remaining roads namely Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz and Jalan Genting Klang.
MP claims City Hall using old ways to resurface roads
Kuala Lumpur City Hall should do away with outdated technology in repairing potholes around the city. Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng claimed City Hall’s present contractors used outdated technology to resurface damaged roads. “They should embrace new technology. Nowadays, City Hall were using steam rollers to patch up roads, which required a longer time,” he said after a press conference to highlight three large potholes at a parking lot behind Hong Leong Bank at Jalan Segambut Utara earlier this week. Lim said he received an average of three complaints on potholes daily at various locations in his constituency. “This shows the quality of roads in KL is inferior and resurfacing work is of substandard quality,” he said.
Lim pointed out the biggest of the three potholes in Jalan Segambut Utara measured five feet in diameter (152cm) and six inches (15cm) deep. “The potholes were here for three months and getting wider by the day and Jalan Segambut Utara is not even a busy street,” he said. Lim said complaints were lodged with City Hall but no action was taken to patch the holes. “The contractors just covered it with sand,” he said.
When met, Mayor Tan Sri Ahmad Fuad Ismail said the potholes at the parking lot are not under City Hall’s jurisdiction. Refuting claims it was using dated technology to resurface roads in the city, Ahmad Fuad said materials used for resurfacing roads took precedence over the type of technology used.
Related news: Utility firms may have to pay deposit http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/utility-firms-may-have-to-pay-deposit-1.13816