Damansara Perdana folk fear gridlock hinders emergency access
REGULAR users of Jalan PJU 8/8 in Damansara Perdana, Petaling Jaya, are frustrated with daily congestion stemming from indiscriminate parking.
Metropolitan Square resident Katherine Ho said a bottleneck forms outside the Heritage Lane building.
“Many residents are frustrated about this. Some of us have reported it to Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ).
“We received a reply stating that the matter would be looked into, but nothing has transpired,” said Ho, who has been living in the neighbourhood for eight years.
“Once, I was stuck for about 20 minutes trying to exit this road to get to the Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP) when rushing my son to hospital.”
She said she knew of a resident who was also stuck in a jam when rushing an elderly parent, who had fallen and broken a leg, to the hospital.
Ho said the road was congested during the morning and evening rush hours, and the illegal parking worsened the situation.
“This road needs serious attention from MBPJ.
“We fear that in the event of a fire, there would be no way for a fire engine to pass.”
Other developments that share this road include Forest Hill, D’Cosmos, D’Quince, D’Vine, D’Vervain, D’Erica, the Damansara Perdana mosque, Lung Mu Temple, Menara Gamuda, PJ Trade Centre and the Petaling Jaya branch of the Inland Revenue Board.
School buses, feeder buses and the free Petaling Jaya bus by MBPJ also ply this route.
Ho said occupants of newer developments, including condominiums, would depend on this road to access the LDP.
She expects the congestion to worsen once these buildings are occupied.
Another Metropolitan Square resident, Ooi Yin Mau, who is a retiree, said there was a lack of council enforcement along the affected road.
“Many customers of businesses here park illegally because the summonses are cheaper than paying for parking.
“An MBPJ summons, when paid within 24 hours, is just RM10, so offenders take it lightly.
“Parking fees inside the business centres cost more.
“We hope enforcement will be conducted regularly.”
According to Ooi, when a nearby hotel caught fire some time ago, it took the Fire and Rescue Department 25 minutes to arrive due to traffic.
He said when a neighbour’s maid fainted, residents had to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on her as it took the ambulance an hour to arrive.
“She eventually recovered but luck may not be on everyone’s side in times of an emergency.”
He expects another new project that would be completed soon to put further strain on the road.
“We need a traffic impact study.
“People in authority should come and see the congestion for themselves here during rush hour,” he said.
Flora Damansara resident Siti Nor Aisyah Othman said she had been stuck in traffic for 45 minutes numerous times.
“I would suggest that the authorities work with traffic police during peak hours to manage traffic flow,” she said.
Residents suggested placing bollards at illegal parking hotspots.
MBPJ area councillor Suraise Gengiah said he would visit the area to assess the situation.
“If there is a need for bollards, we can instal them. We will try to help ease the traffic situation,” he told StarMetro.
