DISABILITY advocates have called on Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to revoke permits of eateries obstructing five-foot ways on the spot just as fast as issuing permits to them.
They are also objecting DBKL’s requirement for eateries, who are allowed to place outdoor tables and chairs, to have only 0.76m to 0.91m passage for pedestrians and wheelchair users.
Their call follows Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Fadlun Mak Ujud’s announcement that DBKL branch officers would inspect premises and issue permits on the spot for the placement of outdoor tables and chairs.
DBKL said the permit system was an enhancement of the 2017 guidelines, and was meant to make implementation clearer and more consistent while reducing red tape for businesses.
“If DBKL can issue a permit on the spot, it should also be able to cancel it on the spot when an operator breaks the rules.
“The system must work both ways,” said Senator Isaiah Jacob, who has a physical disability and represents the community at the Dewan Negara.
“These latest changes do not help us.
“They make it easier to issue permits without solving the repeated obstruction and enforcement problems on the ground”, he said.
“If DBKL can issue a permit on the spot, it should also be able to cancel it on the spot when an operator breaks the rules.
“The system must work both ways.”
Isaiah said the move was aimed at appeasing business operators while overlooking those who depended on unobstructed walkways.
He likened dealing with errant operators to repeatedly putting out the same fire.
“Some obtain approval for one or two tables, then put out 10 or 20. DBKL officers remove the extras, but more tables and chairs then reappear,” he said.
Isaiah added that he wrote to the mayor requesting a meeting after the announcement last month, but has yet to hear from him.
“If he does not want to meet me, I will take this matter to Parliament,” said Isaiah.
Under the latest initiative, operators are no longer needed to submit applications at Menara DBKL, as branch officers could assess premises and issue permits during site visits.
The permit fee was reduced from RM50 to RM30 per table per month, with the permits valid for up to one year.
Under the revised initiative, approved tables would bear stickers, cannot be placed on parking bays and enforcement action would be taken against operators who breached the conditions.
Independent Living and Training Centre Malaysia president G. Francis Siva said the proposed clearance was inadequate for two-way pedestrian and wheelchair movement.
He said Malaysian Standard MS 1184:2014 – the national code of practice for universal design and accessibility in the built environment – prescribed widths according to pedestrian volume.
Under the standard, a 0.9m clearance was intended only for routes where people were unlikely to pass one another.
The minimum rises to 1.2m for infrequent two-way movement, 1.5m for frequent two-way movement and 1.8m for constant two-way traffic.
Francis said the proposed 0.76m clearance fell below even the narrowest provision, while 0.9m would accommodate only single-file movement.
“Some wheelchairs are designed for larger users.
“In a busy area, a wheelchair user also needs enough room to manoeuvre safely around other pedestrians.
“We cannot share walking spaces with tables and chairs.”.
Malaysian Association for the Blind chief executive officer Datuk George Thomas said a five-foot way intended for two-way movement should not be reduced to a single-file route.
“The existing width should be maintained so everyone can move freely in both directions without any obstructions.”
