Traffic mayhem continues in Brickfields

TRANSIT took note of this article which describes a complaint about continued traffic mayhem in Brickfields, despite the change to 1-way operation on Jalan Tun Sambanthan as well as increased amounts of parking space.

Check out the double parking – now on both sides of Jalan Tun Sambanthan!

Brickfields traffic mayhem (Malay Mail)
Police pledge sustained action as complaints mount
A. FUAD PAIZ
T.K. LETCHUMY TAMBOO
Faizal Nor Izham
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

AN all-out swoop on those who contribute to the chaotic traffic condition in Brickfields is the only way to solve the problem, suggests BALJIT SINGH. 

He says while the authorities should bear the blame for poor planning, motorists should change their mindset for an effective solution to a long-standing problem.

“KL Sentral is the first place a tourist is most likely to step foot in Kuala Lumpur and what do they get at first sight? A confused Brickfields,” says BALJIT.

Another resident, KEN PHILANDERSSON, adds: “Brickfields will continue to be choked with cars unless motorists change their mentality on indiscriminate parking. There seems to be no law and order on traffic rules.”

He notes the place has always been a nightmare for motorists, but with the newly cemented pavements eating into the road and lack of parking space, cars crawl.

“To add to the hassle, cars are allowed to park on both sides and, of course, double parking is the norm.

“Why is there no sustained enforcement by the traffic police to ensure traffic regulations are adhered to?”

VASANTHI RAMU, also a resident, suggests City Hall engage private firms to enforce traffic rules if it is not up to it due to manpower constraints.

“These firms can be given permits to clamp vehicles. Imagine them going up and down the roads every half hour to issue tickets for a stiff fine. You will have clear streets in no time.”

● CITY police traffic chief Asst Commissioner Rusli Md Noor says action will be intensified in Brickfields since the traffic situation is not getting better.

He says police have constantly taken action against errant motorists but their mindset does not seem to change.

Rosli warns police will step up towing of vehicles that cause traffic congestion.

City police chief Zulkifli Abdullah says police are working with City Hall to tackle the chaotic traffic situation.

Zulkifli says both authorities have had meetings to find ways to tackle problems in Brickfields.

“We are not just focusing on parking. We will also try to address all the problems that the community is currently facing.”

He says the authorities are not just focusing on Brickfields but also many other areas that face similar problems.

TRANSIT Says:

When it was first mooted that Jalan Tun Sambanthan would be turned into a 1-way street, TRANSIT suggested that the KL-bound half of Jalan Tun Sambanthan (the KL Sentral side) be used for bus lanes instead of more cars.

The bus lanes would operate in two directions, and they would be separated from the cars by the existing kerb. Bus stops along the KL Sentral stretch would be spaced out so that there would be room for bus stops in both directions.

Unfortunately, no one was really interested in this proposal. Instead, we now have parking & double parking on both sides, making it next to impossible for cars and buses to get through.

The sad thing is that there is still a lot of room for improvements in our surface planning for buses in KL and if we could just make a little bit of effort, a lot of improvement can be found.

The construction of the temporary terminal at Lorong Galloway near Hang Tuah LRT & Monorail station is such an example – first it helped reduce traffic congestion from express buses waiting along Jalan Pudu before entering Puduraya. Now it is the staging area for inter-urban buses bound for Seremban & Rawang.

On a similar note, if the DBKL would open up the Jalan Kinabalu roundabout to buses only, the buses can access the Klang bus stand more quickly and easily instead of being stuck on Jalan Petaling.