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The Star OnlineFriday August 22, 2008KL image marred by potholesBy FAZLEENA AZIZALTHOUGH Kuala Lumpur is one of the more pleasant cities for living and holidays, one thing mars the image of the otherwise beautiful capital city -- the potholes and uncovered manholes in many of its roads.Almost all drivers in the city would have had some unfortunate experiences of bumps, near misses or even minor accidents caused by the potholes and manholes.In what seems like a never-ending saga, the tyres and rims of many cars and vans have suffered the trauma of rough driving in the city, with the holes and bulging features of the roads.Some of the busiest main roads in Kuala Lumpur like Jalan Tun Perak, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Raja Chulan, Jalan Kepong and Jalan U-thant are just a few of the many major roads having the notorious distinction of having potholes almost everywhere.StarMetro checked on these roads this week and found several common features -- uneven road surface, uncovered manholes on the side walks and deep potholes that could pose a big danger if not covered up fast.
Poorly done: A manhole that goes as deep as two inches near Jalan Bukit Bintang. According to Cheras resident Rosmawatie Abdul Halim, 25, the steel covers on the sidewalks and roads are often missing, obviously stolen by the despicable scrap metal thieves.“The authorities need to use a tougher type of lids and install them properly and securely,” she said.“The problem is caused by poor management by the city authorities. Telecommunication companies also need to upgrade their facilities instead of locating their cables under the ground,” she said.Sungai Besi resident Maizatul Kartini Kamaruldin, 25, agrees that there are too many damaged roads in the city.“The Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2) is a good example to show how bad the condition of the road is. I think this may be due to the use of cheap materials to build them, hence the holes appear,” she said.Maizatul said the relevant parties should check the condition of the roads and take the necessary action for the safety of the public.Ampang resident R. Sanjivan, 27, said the potholes damage the vehicle’s suspension, dent the car rims and in some cases, pucture the tyres.“It is also dangerous when trying to avoid the manholes because it can lead to accidents,” he said.“When the Tenaga Nasional Bhd and Telekom Bhd workers come to do some work, they usually do not resurface the road properly after that,” Sajivan said.“The road then becomes uneven and can be dangerous at night or during a downpour, when visibility is limited,” he said.Sanjivan said certain areas could use better maintenance for safety purposes.According to town planning and environmental expert Pratap Chandran Gopinath, the overall road system in the city is not that bad.“The problem is that there is no proper coordination among the various departments or agencies. After workers of one department resurfaced the road, the workers of an utility company come along next and do some other work, digging up the road again,” he said.“The problem is they do not ensure that the road is properly resurfaced or patched up after doing what they want,” Pratap said.“What we need is a complete revamp like in Putrajaya, where they have dedicated corridors for utility cables,” he said.Asked if the problem was caused by shoddy workmanship, Pratap said to a certain extent, it might be a cause.“Some contractors do not follow the proper specifications and there is no quality control.“That is why when is rains, potholes emerge because the road is resurfaced just two inches thick instead of four,” he said.“It is important for the local council to play its role to ensure quality workmanship and proper maintenance,” Pratap said.I JUST HATE THESE POTHOLES!!!
