Repeated fatal crashes along Kepong stretch prompt calls for urgent upgrades
REPEATED fatal accidents along the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) stretch in Kepong, Kuala Lumpur, have prompted calls for urgent safety upgrades.
Community activist Yee Poh Ping urged the authorities to act before more lives were lost.
Yee said several crashes, including fatal ones, had occurred over the past few years, particularly between the Batu Caves roundabout and Taman Tasik Metropolitan Kepong.
“A fatal accident involving a car crashing into a bus parked along the MRR2 occurred at about 2.45am on May 4 near a petrol station.
“A female passenger died while the driver was warded.”
He said the stretch, especially between Kuala Lumpur Solid Waste Transfer Station (Taman Beringin) and Taman Tasik Metropolitan Kepong, was known as an accident “black spot”.
Yee attributed the incidents to a combination of driver negligence and poor road conditions, especially during rainy weather.
He pointed to uneven road surfaces, water pooling, damaged guardrails, poor lighting and lack of reflective safety markers along the route.
“At night, vehicles travel at high speeds here.
“There are insufficient reflective stickers and safety features to clearly guide motorists when approaching corners or hazardous sections,” he said.
Repainting concrete dividers in reflective yellow-and-black colours, he said, would improve night visibility.
He also urged more guardrails to be installed on both sides of the road, and damaged ones be replaced.
Yee also proposed installing additional thermoplastic rumble strips in high-risk areas to force motorists to slow down.
“When tyres hit the strips, motorists naturally reduce speed. Certain dangerous stretches need this.”
In a letter dated May 5 addressed to Public Works Department (JKR) Gombak district, Yee outlined several recommendations to improve road safety along the MRR2 stretch from Sri Gombak to the Taman Bukit Maluri junction in Kepong.
Additionally, Yee urged JKR to instal higher-quality reflective stickers, repaint road dividers with brighter colours and resurface damaged road sections.
He hopes the Works Ministry will allocate more funds for road upgrades and safety improvements along the stretch.
He said the authorities should treat the matter seriously.
Yee also highlighted broader maintenance concerns along the MRR2, including overgrown grass, clogged drains and rubbish accumulation.
He claimed that confusion over overlapping responsibilities between local councils and JKR had contributed to poor maintenance of the area.
“People do not know who is responsible for maintaining certain roads.
“Some are under the local council, some are under JKR.”
This, Yee said, made it difficult for residents to lodge complaints effectively, thus leaving many issues unresolved for years.
He proposed that roads built by JKR, except highways managed by concessionaires, be eventually handed over to the respective local councils for long-term maintenance.
When contacted, Malaysia Road Safety Council executive council member Datuk Suret Singh agreed with the remedial measures suggested for the crash-prone stretch.
“Measures such as repairing uneven road surfaces, addressing water ponding, improving lighting and replacing damaged guardrails are important.
“Speed detection cameras should also be installed to apprehend reckless motorists and slow down traffic in this zone, which has recorded frequent road crashes,” said Suret.
