All slow at key roundabout
ON Aug 8, 2017, my concern over the slow progress of upgrading work at Bulatan Dato’ Onn (near Bank Negara) was published in a newspaper.
Yet after more than two and a half years, it is regrettable that the upgrading work is still going on albeit at a slow pace. Compare this with the speed of completion of the 1,000-bed hospital in Wuhan in less than two weeks to cater to patients infected with the novel coronavirus.
Undoubtedly, there is no sense of urgency by Kuala Lumpur City Hall to complete the upgrade. To make matters worse, work is at a standstill on some days; no one can be seen at the site.
This roundabout is a major artery of KL’s central road transport network. Traffic comes to a standstill or moves at a snail’s pace due to the large volume of traffic. Many motorists have no choice but to use this busy roundabout.
Motorists suffer and continue to be inconvenienced as traffic police block certain roads leading to the roundabout (during peak hours) resulting in motorists having to take a long detour. Motorists not only take a longer time to reach their destination but have to burn more fuel as well as accelerate the wear and tear of their vehicles. Economists term these costs borne by vehicle owners as externalities; KL City Hall (the agency responsible for this project) seems oblivious of this extra burden on road users.
Motorists who have to use this roundabout daily are frustrated, angry and upset as there seems to be no sense of urgency on the part of City Hall to complete the upgrading work as soon as possible. Although many try to avoid using this roundabout during peak hours but there does not seem to be any noticeable change.
And surprisingly there is not a word from the authority as to when the upgrading work will be completed. The elegant silence on the part of City Hall does not help. Please keep the public informed of developments.
Hopefully, this letter will draw the attention of the Federal Territory minister and mayor so that things can be put right immediately. The rakyat should not be inconvenienced for a longer time than necessary due to incompetent and inept officials handling the project.