Rush to EPF causes jam

Chock-a-block: Haphazard parking near the Persada International Conventional Centre caused traffic congestion in surrounding streets.

JOHOR BARU: Major roads within the city centre were congested due to an increase in the number of people heading to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) building in Jalan Dato Dalam.

This follows permission for a special EPF withdrawal of up to RM10,000 from April 1 to 30.

The congestion, especially around the Persada International Convention Centre, was made worse yesterday by haphazard parking along the roads.

Among the roads that were affected were Jalan Dobi, Jalan Abdul Ibrahim and Jalan Dato Dalam.

Ali Mazat, 42, who was among those who went to the EPF building, said people just parked their cars by the road shoulder despite being issued summonses or getting their vehicles towed away.

“The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) and traffic police should turn Jalan Dato Dalam into a one-way street like how it was during the mass vaccination at Persada.

“Now, because of the two-way traffic, the jam is over 2km long,” he said, adding that one of the roads near Persada was also closed for a bazaar.

Another motorist, P. Sivakumar, 32, said he was stuck in the jam for almost 45 minutes.

“It is better to make this place one-way so that people do not simply park. There should be adequate police and MBJB presence to tackle this congestion issue,” he said.

Sivakumar said that with Singaporeans coming in after the borders reopened, more congestion was likely to happen around the city centre.

He urged the authorities to look into traffic management along Jalan Trus and Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

MBJB mayor Datuk Noorazam Osman said the jam in the area was due to the sudden influx of people heading to the EPF.

“My officers told me that such a situation has occurred before.

“However, MBJB has deployed enforcement personnel to patrol and manage the traffic in the area,” he said, adding that this part of the city was a “towing hotspot” for the local council.

He said the council would also study the suggestion to make the road one-way.