ADDRESSING the issue of flash floods on Pasir Gudang Highway is crucial as it is a popular main road that links Pasir Gudang city with other parts of Johor Baru district.
In an effort to find solutions to this matter, Permas assemblyman Baharudin Mohamed Taib said he had a meeting with Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) and the Public Works Department (JKR) recently.
“Both the city council and JKR have given their word to look into the case.
“Prior to this, MBPG had rolled out its short-term measure of cleaning the clogged monsoon drain and river near the highway.
“The Pasir Gudang Highway is a lifeline for people here, so it is imperative that we, as the government, ensure that it can be used even in bad weather,” he said when contacted.
He added that the city council planned to build a weir near Jalan Masai Lama, about 400m along Sungai Rinting.
“The Drainage and Irrigation Department is conducting research on the location and drainage system in Kota Puteri.
“What we can do for now is increase the frequency of clearing any blockages in the nearby river and drainage,” he said, adding that he would be working with the city council to address the road congestion in Pasir Gudang.
He said some of the locations that were usually congested during peak hours were in Bandar Seri Alam, Taman Bukit Dahlia and Taman Scientex.
“Road congestion issues have become apparent in Pasir Gudang, so it is high time we conduct a traffic impact assessment (TIA) for the city.
“Planning is meant to not only improve the current situation but also deal with any future road congestion that may occur because of ongoing development.
“This will incur a huge cost to the government, but it is the only way to solve the traffic issue in Pasir Gudang,” he explained.
Meanwhile, on another matter, Baharudin said he would be looking into some grievances by traders in the city regarding licence applications.
“Everyone is trying to recover financially and right now, for that to happen, I think we need to help those interested in running a business, especially small enterprises,” he added.
