Bandar Sri Damansara is one of the best connected townships, with highways connecting it to the south and north, bringing those living there to Kuala Lumpur in five minutes.
It is also connected by Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (DASH) to Shah Alam and Klang as well as Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) to Petaling Jaya.
Every morning, residents spend more than 25 minutes to reach Penchala toll plaza and another 10 minutes to access the Penchala Link.
On our return from the office, we have to admire the trees and buildings alongside Kampung Sungai Penchala and Mutiara Damansara area, as we have to spend more than 20 minutes crawling from Bandar Utama to the Penchala toll plaza.
Upon reaching the toll, we will again crawl either to Kepong, Sungai Buloh or any residential area nearby, including Bandar Sri Damansara.
This is a long-standing issue of severe bottlenecks on the LDP, particularly in Bandar Sri Damansara.
Despite collecting toll fees for more than 25 years, the infrastructure remains unchanged, causing daily traffic congestion and frustration for commuters.
These traffic issues not only waste valuable time but also contribute to increased stress levels and air pollution.
Toll rates have been revised but not the overall condition of the highway.
Traffic volume has increased several times, but the highway bottlenecks remain the same.
It is perplexing that no Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), Public Works Department (JKR) or Litrak has done anything meaningful to overcome this congestion.
Litrak has not undertaken any significant road expansion or improvement programmes to address these bottlenecks at these places.
The lack of action raises serious questions about the operator’s commitment to ensuring a smooth and efficient commuting experience for the public.
The time has come for concessionaires to prioritise the welfare of commuters and address these long-standing issues.
Urgent action is needed to expand the road or implement other road improvements to alleviate daily traffic congestion in Bandar Sri Damansara.
There are points along the highway which need expansion.
It may involve land acquisition, but something must be done.
We cannot be spending hours on the highway and pay to do so.
The development in Sungai Buloh, Kepong, Bandar Sri Damansara and Damansara has certainly worsened traffic conditions.
The highway concessionaire must act pro-actively to overcome traffic congestion as we are paying toll daily to use the road.
As a concerned citizen, I urge the concessionaire to fulfil its responsibility in providing a safe and efficient highway infrastructure.
The community should not have to endure these avoidable traffic problems any longer.
Ravindran Raman Kutty
Bandar Sri Damansara
