Insufficient parking space in Klang Little India irk traders

KLANG: Inadequate parking space has always been the key concern for the traders along the moniker, 'Little India' in Jalan Tengku Kelana here, whenever Deepavali is around the corner.
Some traders said a multi-storey car park should be erected for shoppers as Jalan Tengku Kelana has always been the centre of attention for the Indian community during Deepavali.
Entrepreneurs Association of Klang Little India chairman N. P. Raman, said this year, the temporary closure of the entire stretch along Jalan Tengku Kelana for public vehicles especially during the weekends has created difficulty for the shoppers to park their vehicles.
Questioning the rationale behind the closure of the entire Jalan Tengku Kelana stretch during weekends, he told Bernama the road closure had affected their sales due to the reduced crowd.
"We want traffic flow along Jalan Tengku Kelana and allow shoppers to park their cars on both sides of the road," he said, citing an incident in which a woman collapsed at a restaurant in Jalan Tengku Kelana on Saturday morning and the ambulance could not come on time to offer first aid services due to the road closure.

Meanwhile, one of the founders of Sri Kumaran's Textile Sdn Bhd in Klang Little India, N. Ravichandran concurred with Raman saying ample parking spaces are needed for the convenience of the shoppers.
He also said the Deepavali carnivals taking place nationwide had affected the brisk business enjoyed by his shop which saw a drop of 20% to 25% sales every year.
Ravichandran also expressed disappointment over the sombre festive mood at the street lined by two rows of more than 100 pre-war shops on both sides.
"We want more decoration or festivity mood along the moniker, 'Little India' lit with LED bulbs," he said.
Meanwhile, Klang Municipal Council (MPK) president Datuk Mohamad Yasid Bidin said MPK allocated sufficient parking spaces at Padang Chetty and surrounding areas for the convenience of the shoppers.
He said there is not enough space to erect a multi-storey car park in Jalan Tengku Kelana.
"The road closure was only done for three days as per the request of the traders," he added. — Bernama