A file picture of the bus terminal in construction last year. Due to technical complications and construction defects, operations are only expected to begin in October.
THE Petaling Jaya Old Town bus terminal along Jalan Othman is only expected to operate in October as ongoing work continues to delay the initial March opening date.
The RM4mil bus terminal project, which started in September 2014, missed its March deadline due to technical complications and construction defects. They are still being addressed.
“There are still a few things which needs to be rectified like the tiles and stairs which were built without following our specifications, and for that we have already taken action against the contractor responsible,” said Petaling Jaya mayor Datuk Mohd Azizi Mohd Zain during the monthly full board meeting.
He added that utility companies like Indah Water Konsortium (IWK) and Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) still had work to complete there as well.
“Our aim is to reopen by October, and work at this stage now is already 95% completed,” he said.
This project which is by the Transport Ministry under the National Key Results Area (NKRA), saw the old two-storey bus terminal being torn down to make way for a more modern structure.
For now, buses along the route are still not allowed to enter the premises for safety reasons.
Moving on to other matters, Mohd Azizi called for an increase in joint enforcement raids at illegal gambling dens all around the city.
“There will be no end to the illegal gambling dens issue if it's just us doing the raids because we only have the authority to take action for carrying out illegal business.
“After our raid, operators will either start another illegal gambling den somewhere else or just continue after a month or two,” he explained.
Mohd Azizi said having very frequent joint operations together with the police was vital in bringing an end to illegal gambling dens. He expressed hopes that MBPJ officers would take the necessary steps to plan for such joint raids.
Meanwhile, on the issue of dengue, it was noted that there had been three deaths to date at Gugusan Mawar Sek 4 and Gugusan Kesumbar Sek 8 in PJU 5 Kota Damansara, and a shophouse in Prima Damansara PJU 10.
However, as a whole, there has been a 35% drop in reported cases compared to the same period last year.
Eight dengue hotspots have also been identified in August at Flora Apartment Damansara in PJU 8, Empire City in PJU 8, SD1 in PJU 9, SD Court in PJU 9, Sri SS7 neighbourhood, Ridzuan Condominium at PJS 10 and Mentari Court in PJS 8.
During the full board meeting, MBPJ councillor Derek Fernandez proposed that an elevated walkway be built around the city to improve pedestrian connectivity and decrease crime rates.
“An elevated walkway connecting the main commercial hubs in the city to public transport hubs is the way to move forward as it will not only encourage people to use public transport but also prevent highways from being built intercity,” he said.
Fernadez added that an elevated walkway would also be a lot safer for pedestrians to walk on compared to walking on the roadside. He said it would not only be weather-proof but would also decrease the chances of motorcycle snatch thefts happening.
Limited time offer:
Just RM5 per month.
