Daily traffic crawl a major problem

KUALA LUMPUR: The longstanding issue of traffic congestion at Taman Melawati Zones A, B and C continues to irk residents there.

The access road from the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) to the new shopping mall in Jalan Bandar 12 is heavily congested every day.

According to the residents, Jalan Bandar 12 leading to the neighbourhood is their only access road.

Other roads such as Lorong Sarawak, Lorong Selangor and Jalan Bandar Melawati leading to the neighbourhood are also affected by the traffic crawl.

Residents’ association chairman Razman Hakimi Abdullah said the issue had been reported several times, but the the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) had yet to respond.

Razman said every day, the residents had to endure three hours of traffic jam during the peak hours.

“On May 1, I discussed the matter with MPAJ. On May 24, we had a meeting with (the developer) Sime Darby representatives. At the meeting, I was told that by July 1, we would get feedback from Sime Darby.

“I assumed that we would get a solution. So, few days ago, I sent a text message to them asking whether they have come up with a solution.

“The only response I got from them was that the traffic issue fell under the jurisdiction of MPAJ and that they (Sime Darby) were not responsible.”

Razman estimated that about 1,000 cars would enter the neighbourhood once the mall was opened. This, he said, would worsen the traffic situation.

He said besides the mall, there were several other development projects in the pipeline such as the Melawati corporate centre, serviced apartments and MPAJ convention centre.

“They should have come up with a proper plan so that residents do not have to endure traffic congestions,” he said, adding that the mall was expected to be opened on July 27.

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An MPAJ spokesman said the density level in Taman Melawati was high and during peak hours, it was normal for the area to be congested.

“Two months ago, we held a meeting with the residents and developer. The new Melawati Mall was highlighted at the meeting as the main reason for the problem.

“We are aware of the traffic situation in the area and are waiting for Sime Darby’s next course of action.”