Brickfields folk also want ban on lorries, private buses along the stretch
THOSE living along Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, are calling for a total ban on heavy vehicles using the road that has a 30km/h speed limit.
The residents say that stipulating low speed limit alone is not enough at the stretch that serves over 10 schools, homes, offices and places of worship.
Currently cement mixers, buses and lorries ply the pedestrian-priority stretch, with some drivers not keeping to the speed limit.
Residents also claim some motorists ignore the speed limit and traffic rules.
Sentral Suites resident Sharon Wong said that since the road was redesigned as part of a pedestrian safety initiative, allowing the heavy vehicles to use it defeated the purpose of the investment.
Heavy vehicles also accelerated the wear and tear on road infrastructure, she highlighted.
Parts of the 1.5km road were recently redesigned under a pedestrian safety initiative by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and the Global Designing Cities Initiative where upgrades included raised crossings, wider walkways, bollards and higher kerbs to slow traffic and improve pedestrian visibility.
SMK Vivekananda Parent-Teacher Association chairman V. Kumaran said residents welcomed efforts to improve safety for pedestrians and students, but the situation remained worrying.
“Heavy vehicles are still using the road and some are ignoring the 30km/h limit.
“With so many schools along this road, enforcement is just as important as its design,” he said.
Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman SKK Naidu said vehicles carrying construction materials should be clearly identifiable to improve monitoring.
“Those vehicles should display project details, including the site they are coming from and where they are heading,” he said.
“Monitoring if heavy vehicles are using appropriate routes is impossible without such information.
“Roads designed with neighbourhood safety in mind should not become shortcuts for heavy vehicles,” Naidu added.
Residents also said private buses would park by the roadside.
Currently, vehicles over 7,500kg are not allowed on major expressways and main city roads in Kuala Lumpur between 6.30am and 9.30am and 4.30pm to 7.30pm on weekdays, excluding public holidays.
Exceptions are given to public buses, garbage compactors and vehicles used for public cleansing or emergency services.
DBKL Urban Transportation Department director Muhammad Azri Abdul Aziz said time-based restrictions on heavy vehicles were enforced through signage along specific routes.
“Roads with a 30km/h speed limit are typically located near schools for safety, but there is no blanket ban preventing heavy vehicles from using them outside restricted hours,” he said.
“Outside the morning and evening restriction periods, heavy vehicles are generally allowed on the roads unless specific prohibitory signage is in place,” he elaborated.
Azri said enforcement against heavy vehicles using restricted roads would fall under Section 70(2) of the Road Transport Act 1987, with powers shared between the police, Road Transport Department and DBKL.
However, he said enforcement operations must take traffic conditions into account, as stopping heavy vehicles in unsuitable locations could cause congestion.
