THE pothole-riddled Jalan Persiaran Margosa 1 in Ipoh, Perak, is in urgent need of repairs.
Taman Pengkalan Harmoni Residents Association committee member Muhamad Hakimi Abd Halim, 46, said regular flooding and heavy vehicles plying the road had subjected the road to more damage.
He added that poor maintenance by the authorities was another factor.
The retired civil servant said residents had been dealing with the potholed road for three years, and no action has been taken to date.
“Everyone is just passing the buck from the Ipoh City Council (MBI) to the developer of a nearby housing project, to the private contractor in charge of maintaining roads in Perak,” said Muhamad Hakimi.
“Several accidents have occurred but until now, no remedial action has been taken.
“I have lost count of the number of times residents have forked out money to patch up the potholes,” he said.
He added that the potholes would reappear after a downpour.
Muhamad Hakimi said several complaints were lodged with the authorities but only the roadside ones were tarred, while potholes located in the middle of the street were left unrepaired.
He also raised the issue of unmaintained manhole and drains getting clogged during heavy rain that would result in flash floods.
“If the area is not properly cleaned then flooding will not be solved and this will result in potholes and damaged roads,” he said.
Muhamad Hakimi also said that he had helped direct traffic during downpours to alert motorists and help them avoid the potholes.
Another problem that he worries about is a height barrier that is on the verge of collapse after it was knocked into by a vehicle.
“I worry for the safety of passing vehicles,” he added.
When contacted by StarMetro, Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said Jalan Persiaran Margosa 1 was a private road and it had not been handed over to the local council to maintain.
He said the city council, however, still provided sewerage cleaning as part of its corporate social responsibility.
“MBI will help out by coordinating efforts to solve the residents’ problem.
“We will call developers in the surrounding areas to contribute to building proper road and drainage soon,” he added.
