Ku Nan: CBDs to be rezoned
‘MISTAKE’: Bangsar, TTDI , Sri Hartamas and Kepong among areas to be reviewed
SEVERAL places designated as central business districts (CBDs) in Kuala Lumpur may be rezoned following a review by authorities.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said Bangsar, Sri Hartamas, Taman Tun Dr Ismail and Kepong were among areas that would be reviewed.
“In the old KL City plan, these places have been designated as CBDs. This is a mistake made by us and we will make the necessary adjustments,” Tengku Adnan said at the ministry-level Hari Raya Aidilfitri celebration yesterday, which saw the attendance of more than 5,000 guests.
On the city’s parking rate, Tengku Adnan said it would be raised in accordance with the situation at an acceptable rate.
“We have not raised the parking rate for the past 40 years. Under the law, we can charge vehicle owners for parking from 3am to 10pm as well as on Saturdays and Sundays.
“But, as a government that cares, we impose parking fees only during working hours. We are only interested in providing comfort to those in the city,” he said.
Tengku Adnan also said more electronic boards were being installed to inform people on the number of parking spaces available at parking complexes.
He said there were people who agreed with what was done to address parking issues as there were not enough parking spaces.
There were about three million vehicles plying the roads in Kuala Lumpur every day, he said.
“We only have about 46,000 metered parking bays (managed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall) and we are facing issues involving vehicle owners who hog the parking spaces from morning to night,” he said.
Since Monday, vehicle owners have started to pay new parking rates at RM2 for the first hour and RM3 for subsequent hours in the CBD with a two-hour parking limit.
It was reported that City Hall owns 46,100 metered parking bays in the city and 22 per cent, or 9,914, are located in the CBDs.
A number of residents groups, especially those within the CBDs in Kuala Lumpur, will be sending objections to City Hall on the hike.
The groups from Bangsar and Sri Hartamas questioned the preferential treatment given to Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI) by the authority when it revoked the fee hike that was imposed on Monday.
“Is Bangsar not a suburb like Brickfields and TTDI? City Hall must go back to the former parking rates,” said Bukit Bandaraya Residents Association Adviser Datuk Mumtaz Ali.
He would be sending a compilation of residents’ objections and a protest letter would be sent to Tengku Adnan and Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz next week.
For years, Ali had proposed to City Hall that feeder buses be made available in residential areas in Bangsar to reduce the traffic on Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Maarof. But, his recommendation had fallen on deaf ears.
Ali questioned the authority’s logic in increasing the rates without engaging the public first.
He also asked how and why Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan (a welfare arm of the Federal Territories Ministry) had been given the concession to manage the parking system that has traditionally been under City Hall.
Desa Sri Hartamas Residents Association president Mohamed Shukri Zain asked the authority to justify why TTDI’s hike was revoked.
“They should then do it for Hartamas and Mont Kiara as well. This is not a financial district. I don’t understand this,” he said.
Shukri is sending in an objection on behalf of the neighbourhood and, like Ali, is objecting as the neighbourhood does not have a viable public transport system.
“This flip-flop is not good for City Hall. It is very bad for their image,” he said. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor Federal territories minister