KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Taman Rainbow, located in front of Batu 3 in Jalan Ipoh, are up in arms with the authorities over a spate of collisions at the intersection leading towards Kuala Lumpur and Kepong.
At a press conference yesterday, Taman Rainbow Residents Association (TRRA) chief Govindasamy Balaguru said the problems started after the MRT station 15 was built in Batu 3, which caused traffic in the area to increase.
“Crashes frequently happen after the two-lane road in Jalan Ipoh, in front of the MRT Batu 3 and Kompleks Mutiara, was widened to three lanes, with the additional one leading into St Thomas Road.
“The traffic light there changes very quickly and this contributes to collisions because vehicles from the crossroads at the junction also turn towards St Thomas Road. However, their view is blocked by a large concrete pillar, which is part of the MRT construction,” he said.
Govindasamy added that the association has complained about the frequent collisions there to the Kuala Lumpur City Council and Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (MRT), but no action has been taken thus far to rectify the situation.
He claimed that MRT had reverted to TRRA stating that the MRT plans had been approved and construction completed, so little could be done at this late stage. Govindasamy also said they had taken up the matter with Batu MP Prabakaran Parameswaran, who said he has raised the matter with the relevant parties and suggested some remedial action.
“The matter is very urgent as a fatal accident occurred at the intersection at 8.30pm on Tuesday,” he said, adding that, “We are worried about the people’s safety as we are unsure when the next fatality will happen because crashes at the intersection are almost a daily occurance.”
Dorothy Margaret Fernandez, 65, who shares the same concern, said: “I have been a resident in (the nearby) Taman Kaya for the past 40 years and it has been a safe place to live. But since the MRT was constructed, collisions have been occurring daily with several fatalities as well.
“The MRT is a worthy development as it is a public transport system that serves everyone. But the traffic light at the intersection is something that needs to be looked into urgently as it is causing many collisions.
“Motorists using this road seem not to value people’s lives. Perhaps traffic police should place some of their personnel to direct traffic and keep the people safe,” she said.
Another resident who lives along Jalan St Thomas, Balvinder Kaur, 53, said she became traumatised when she was almost hit by a vehicle.
“A driver had beaten the red light at full speed and almost crashed into me. I was shaken up after the incident,” she said.
MRT Corporation could not be reached while Prabakaran declined to comment further.
