SOLVE PUTATAN TRAFFIC JAM PROBLEM

THE TRAFFIC jam from Kepayan to Lok Kawi is getting worst day by day due to the increased traffic flow. The section of the road and its junctions were not upgraded and widen up to cater for the swift traffic flow. The number of cars had increased up to four times due to the rapid development in the area. New housings, industrial factories and shops are mushrooming in Kinarut, Putatan, and in Lok Kawi.

This Federal road from the KKIA – Petagas – Sabindo – Lok Kawi – Kinarut faced heavy jam especially during peak hours and in rush hours. This road has to handle at least 25,500 vehicles in a day, and this is partly due to the increased vehicles registered on the road nowadays.

The Federal Ministry of Work will ensure that the upgrading work from Kepayan Road until KKIA along the Petagas River on to the Lok Kawi road junction is carried out. This will be done with the JKR standard R5, with 3 lanes both ways along the 9.2 kilometer of road. The estimated cost will be 90 million.

At the moment, the Ministry of Works is undertaking to evaluate the possibility on building a coastal road connecting to KKIA terminal and the Cargo terminal. The two projects shall be carried out under the 10th Malaysia Plan.

KK MP viewed the reply to a question raised in Parliament as just merely a reply without action, and today what we can see in the Putatan and Lok Kawi Road is more severe traffic jam which can be as long as half an hour to pass through a 6 kilometer road. The jam is not doing any good for the people who frequently used this road. Some people even choose to stay in the office late to avoid the jam. Many precious hours had been lost because of the jam, and many had missed their flights in KKIA. The worst case is that the ambulances find it difficult to ferry the patients who needed immediate hospital care.

The road system upgrading must be done without further delay, and it is not understandable why the JKR proposed to build the coastal road instead of constructing a road through the back of Putatan and Petagas connecting up to Lok Kawi.

This is a faster route and easier place to build a new road. It will be cheaper and faster to complete. The land in this backyard area will have access and development can be enhanced. The vast area of land here will see some light in rapid development.

With the new road connected here, the drainage can also be built to improve the flooding situation here.  The JKR should study this without further delay because this is a shorter route and cheaper to construct.