Rough patches a common daily issue for many road users

Bumpy ride: Road users say potholes, which are harder to notice at night and during flash floods, are a dangerous and costly problem they encounter on a daily basis.

GEORGE TOWN: Each month, hotel employee Zainal Amri Abdul Aziz would set aside hundreds of ringgit for repairs to his motorcycle.

“Although it is only a short distance of 5km from my house in Sungai Pinang to the hotel in town, I have to be careful as several stretches throughout the journey are uneven and bumpy due to potholes, ” he said.

It was harder to notice the potholes, especially at night or during flash floods, he added.

“Hitting a pothole is dangerous and costly. It could damage the rims and at times, puncture the tyres, ” said Zainal Amri, 48.

“I have to set aside a few hundreds of ringgit every month for repairs, ” he added.

Supervisor Suresh Perumal, 49, said it was almost impossible not to hit any potholes near an industrial area whenever he was on his bike from Bukit Minyak on the mainland to the island for work daily.

“It is difficult to avoid potholes at night. I almost fell off my bike twice as I could not see the road in the dark, ” he said.

His most frequent problem is having to repair dented rims.

As for ardent cyclist Bryan Thoong, he said there were potholes and uneven roads near a mall in Bayan Lepas, which is a popular place for cyclists.

Thoong, 47, queried about the rightful authority that was in charge of the repair works.

“Certain stretches belonged to the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), while others come under the Public Works Department. And the stretch near the high-end bungalow lots is under Penang Development Corporation.

“So how does one make a report? Who should we pass the report to?” he asked.

Thoong said he had been cycling for the last seven years, so he knows which roads to avoid.

“But others may not be so lucky. It is a matter of time before a fatal accident occurs, especially during night time, ” he added.

Factory manager V. Savitri said she had changed her car parts many times over the years due to potholes.

“Potholes emerge everywhere in the roads in Prai Industrial Estate after a downpour because they are used by heavy vehicles.

“We are bound to hit one a few times a day, ” she said.

She claimed that smaller stretches inside the industrial estate were not fixed or upgraded.

“Only the main roads are properly tarred, ” she added.

Prai assemblyman Dr P. Ramasamy said most of the stretches along the Prai Industrial Estate came under the the purview of the Federal Government and they had been periodically resurfaced.

MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said they had been allocating RM6.8mil annually for road upgrading in George Town.

“Another RM450,000 is spent on road maintenance works which is a continuous process.”

He said that public complaints on potholes and uneven roads which pose a danger to road users were handled within 24 hours.

“There is a team to monitor all works done by utility companies, which have to ensure roads are properly resurfaced and done according to SOP once they have completed their work.

“The safety of road users is our priority. We have been acting on every complaint and the public should continue highlighting such issues to us, ” he said.