S’gor govt to probe Kidex benefits

PETALING JAYA: The Selangor state government is in the midst of getting information about the progress of the Kidex (Kinrara-Damansara Expressway) project to see if it benefits the people.
State Youth and Sports, Infrastructure and Public Amenities committee chairman Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi said he is gathering information about the 14.9km elevated highway project.
"We would like to see if the project benefits the people or not," he said, noting that it is a project under the Federal Government.
"But I need to get more information about the current progress first before commenting any further," he told theSun.
Kidex, estimated to cost RM2.2 billion, will have two lanes in each direction and a skyway which is about 6m to 24m high over many parts of the city.
It will start from the North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) toll plaza near Bandar Utama and end up at the Bukit Jalil Highway at Kinrara.
Last month, a group of Petaling Jaya residents protested through a "Say No to KIDEX" campaign, calling on Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, to act immediately to stop the proposed construction of the highway as it will affect the people living in the areas along the proposed route.
On Saturday, four DAP elected representatives – Damansara Utama assemblyman Yeo Bee Yin, Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing), Ng Sze Han (Kinrara) and Kampung Tunku assemblyman Lau Weng San – issued a joint statement proposing that the area used for Kidex would be better used as a public transportation line.
The assemblymen also called on the federal government to do comparative studies between a highway and public transport line at this particular corridor, and had demanded for a traffic impact assessment.
Kidex Sdn Bhd CEO Datuk Mohd Nor Idrus was reported saying that the acquisition of land could begin by the end of this year, with works beginning early near year. The project would take up to four years to complete.