Dangerous blindspot causes accidents

Taman Rainbow residents want DBKL to change the traffic light sequence back to the original to help prevent road accidents. — Photo: LOW BOON TAT/The Star

HAVING met with a major road accident, a Taman Rainbow resident who wanted to be known only as Deva could only count his blessing for walking out of it alive.

The 29-year-old programmer was turning his car into Jalan St Thomas from Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah in Kuala Lumpur on March 7 at 10.30pm when a car crashed head-on into his vehicle.

“The other car hit the front of my car and both of our vehicles rebounded to different directions.

“The Jalan Ipoh MRT Station blocked my view of the opposite lane, creating a blindspot for motorists.

“I was lucky enough to walk away with just a toe fracture and bruises on my body,” he said.

Deva was one of several road accident victims in the neighbourhood who experienced this safety hazard at the junction.

He recounted his story at a press conference called by Taman Rainbow residents, which was attended by about 30 residents from a few nearby housing estates.

Desa Alpha resident Doris Lee, 63, said her daughter also met with an accident on Feb 24 at the same blindspot.

“Thankfully, my daughter survived the accident with no major injuries except some bruises on her arm and chest pain, likely due to the deployment of the airbag,” she said.

Residents are claiming that the traffic hazard is also caused by improper traffic sequence and urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to reprogramme the traffic lights.

The issue is said to affect some 5,000 residents, businesses and school students.

Taman Rainbow Residents Association chairman Govin Bala said the residents also wanted the previous sequence of the traffic lights at the dangerous junction to be restored, as the changes had caused confusion and accidents.

The changes in traffic light sequence affect those driving along Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah and those wanting to make a turn to either left or right at the junction, he noted.

He said motorists were previously allowed to drive straight and make a turn at the same time when the lights turn green, but now it allowed only one direction to move at a time.

So, motorists who were used to the earlier system make the turn, thinking that the lights had turned green when actually it was still red.

“Several attempts to highlight this to DBKL have been futile,” he said, adding that he had not received any feedback from Batu MP P. Prabakaran on the issue.

Residents suggested reprogramming the traffic lights, installing safety convex mirrors and CCTV cameras to monitor motorists.

Batu Umno chairman Gulam Muszaffar Gulam Mustakim, who was present at the press conference, said several site visits were made with DBKL and contractors in March last year.

“However, nothing much was done about the blindspot and the engagement with residents did not go well.

“There have been 15 to 20 accidents at the traffic lights so far,” he claimed, adding that the matter would be raised with DBKL again.

DBKL did not respond to the matter as at press time.