Businesses at Laman Rimbunan say many commuters park their vehicles for the whole day near the Kepong Baru MRT station. — Photos: ONG SOON HIN/The Star
MORE parking bays located next to the Kepong Baru MRT station in Kuala Lumpur will be open to the public soon.
Out of 52 bays previously allocated to MRT Corp staff, 22 including two for the disabled will now be made available to commuters.
Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said visitors and business owners in the Laman Rimbunan commercial area nearby would benefit from the move.
“The MRT authorities have agreed to open up some of the parking space, hopefully by the middle of October,” he said during a press conference at a restaurant in Jalan Rimbunan Raya.
ALSO READ: MRT Corp says parking spots reserved for staff, disabled
The opening of the MRT station had drawn more commuters who parked their cars all day at Laman Rimbunan, he said.
This resulted in fewer parking spots for visitors to the shops there and it had badly affected their business, he elaborated.
Lim said he would discuss a long-term solution with Kuala Lumpur City City Hall (DBKL) to turn an open space next to the MRT Kepong Baru station into an extra carpark.
StarMetro report on the parking issue on June 7.
“We also hope to introduce a two-hour parking policy in the commercial area.
“This has been done by local councils like Subang Jaya and Petaling Jaya.
“If cars are not removed by the two-hour mark, fines will be issued,” he added.
Lim’s special assistant Dic Lai said motorists who took the MRT would need to pay only RM4.30 to park for the whole day.
“Those who do not take the MRT have to pay RM3.30 an hour to park there.
“There is a multi-storey carpark near Metro Prima MRT station, with 212 bays available,” Lai highlighted.
Village de Cafe owner Jane Gan said her business had been affected by the train station located opposite her restaurant.
Gan says her customers complain about the lack of parking bays.
“I open at 7am and I see many commuters parking here.
“Their cars take up bays for the whole day and my customers complain they have nowhere to park,” she said.
ALSO READ: Call to open reserved bays near MRT station to public
Community activist Yee Poh Ping had previously raised concerns about the parking issue.
He had called for the reserved bays near MRT Kepong Baru to be opened to the public, in an April 25 report in StarMetro.
In a follow-up report on June 7, MRT Corp responded that the bays were also for the disabled.
Yee said MRT Corp staff should park in other stations like Sri Delima.
“MRT Corp should open all 52 bays as this will also benefit both commuters and businesses at Laman Rimbunan,” he said.
