KUALA LUMPUR: Plans for a 22km covered walkway in Kuala Lumpur have drawn public support, prompting authorities to explore fast-tracking its expansion under Budget 2027, says Hannah Yeoh.
Speaking after the Kuala Lumpur Youth Townhall at Menara DBKL, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) noted that protected pedestrian infrastructure is crucial to encouraging a walkability culture amid heat and rain.
"I have noticed positive feedback regarding the project, which shows that many people want to walk and require sheltered walkways to protect them from heat and rain.
"Options are being studied to execute this extensively as quickly as possible.
"While our initial bid was for 22km of the covered walkway, if there are faster methods to expand the coverage further, we will pursue them to ensure comprehensive connectivity that encourages walking," she said today. (Oct 12)
On Oct 9, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced under next year's budget that Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will build a 22km covered pedestrian walkway linking major landmarks, including the National Mosque, Dataran Merdeka and Central Market.
Anwar also announced a RM400mil allocation for DBKL to build new green spaces and upgrade existing parks and public housing projects.
On expanding green spaces, Yeoh said the immediate focus is fast-tracking the gazettement of unreserved land.
"Additionally, incentives are offered to developers under redevelopment schemes if they incorporate more parks or green spaces.
"For already gazetted spaces, we plan to allocate funds to revitalise and activate those green areas.
"One strategy to expand green spaces is taking over management from other agencies, such as the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID).
"These include DID reserve land, where DBKL will maintain any premises and install lighting to add pedestrian tracks, transforming them into functional recreational spaces.
"There are various ways to increase green areas beyond building new parks from scratch," she said.
