Pedestrians dicing with death with PJ loop system

PETALING JAYA: The tumultuous start to the controversial one-way loop system here is posing a danger to pedestrians, as many are finding it difficult or have to wait for long periods before dashing dangerously across busy roads.
S. Mohan, who works at the MCIS Zurich building, told theSun that he had to wait for 5 minutes before he could cross Jalan Barat to get to his office.
Although there was a zebra crossing, the cars did not stop for pedestrians to cross. To make matters worse, the traffic lights were also not working.
Mohan, who stays in Balakong, said there were previously many route options to travel home but now, he can only use the Federal Highway, which is always at a bumper to bumper crawl during rush hour.
Taxi driver Meeran Vellayappan said he is "fed up" with the loop system, saying some roads were closed on Sunday and then re-opened on Monday, causing a lot of confusion to taxi drivers.
He added that cabbies are now reluctant to pick up passengers at the Taman Jaya LRT station as they have to make a big round to get there since the short route through Jalan Tandang has been closed.
"Passengers have also complained that taxi fares have increased because of the longer routes," he said.
Another taxi driver, Mohd Jaafar, said he tried to avoid picking up passengers during rush hour because of the massive jams the loop system has caused.
Gauselya Paramasivam, who works at the QI Tower at Jalan Barat, said she has been late to work this whole week as she has to take a longer route.
However, for Shanmathi Elangovan, the new system is beneficial as the bus she takes daily now drops her at the Asia Jaya LRT station, compared to the previous stop that was some distance away.