KUALA LUMPUR: THE many potholes, sunken or uneven surfaces and shoddy patchwork found on many roads in the city and in many parts of Selangor, make one wonder if the funds allocated for road maintenance is well spent on these thoroughfares and whether the road repair work carried out by contractors is monitored by the local authorities.
It was reported earlier this year that the funds allocated for road maintenance from the Federal Government to Selangor via the Malaysian Road Records Information System (MARRIS) was over RM546 million while each local authority within the state was also allocated funds for the same purpose.
Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), for instance, was allocated RM7.6 million (including RM30 million from the Federal Government) for it to maintain 44 roads.
Meanwhile, Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) was given RM23 million (from its own funds as well as from the Federal Government) for its road maintenance, while City Hall was given RM74 million this year (compared with over RM78 million last year).
Despite the huge allocation of funds for road maintenance, many roads throughout the various municipalities are in poor condition, riddled with potholes, cracked or uneven surfaces either due to bad patchwork by the appointed contractors or due to minor soil erosion. There are also covered manholes which have either sunk or are jutting out.
The poor road condition is not only making motorists fork out extra cash for vehicle maintenance but also endangering their life and limb.
The roads in poor condition include Jalan Maarof, Jalan Pantai Baharu, Jalan Genting Klang, Jalan Pahang as well as Bulatan Pahang, and Persiaran Zaaba, all of which see traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.
Our observations here showed many motorists trying to avoid the deep potholes as well as uneven surfaces.
In Section 16 of Shah Alam, some roads used by heavy vehicles heading to and coming from the factories, are also in bad condition.
At the junction of Jalan Cetak 16/3 of Section 16, for instance, motorcyclists were seen trying to avoid the deep pothole on the left side of the road.
“Whenever we complain, the council contractors will fix them but the repairs, sadly, do not last as the road is often used by big lorries.
“Roads plied by heavy vehicles should be maintained regularly by the council,” said a shopkeeper in the area.
Another example is Jalan Sempadan 16/7 near the wet market where some potholes can be seen although resurfacing was recently carried out.
At a junction in Jalan Pinang Siri 18/3 in Section 18, a deep pothole and uneven surfaces of the road were due to maintenance work by the council’s contractors.
Pensioner Salleh Ismail, 60, who lives nearby, said the road has been resurfaced a couple of times, but nothing much has changed.
“Having been dug up many times, I think the road has been damaged too often, that’s why it is always uneven.
“This is very dangerous to road users, especially when night falls,” said Salleh.
In Petaling Jaya, Persiaran Surian has over 10 deep potholes, in addition to the cracked and uneven surfaces that stretch about three to four metres along the underpass next to The Curve shopping mall.
The potholes range from about 15cm to 60cm wide, with a depth of about 2cm to 4cm.
Shafiqah Kamal, 25, who frequently uses the road, said the local authorities had assigned their contractors to patch up the potholes several times, only for them to reappear after a few days or weeks.
Nicholas Goh, 36, said two of his tyres were punctured when he once drove on this road.
In Subang Jaya, among the bad roads are Jalan USJ 1/2, Persiaran Subang Permai and Persiaran Kewajipan.
According to City Hall civil engineering and drainage department director Tan Keng Chok, the council had received 1,176 complaints regarding poor road conditions from January until Sept 18.
“City Hall has received public complaints from various channels including via its hotline, Integrated Public Agency Complaints Monitoring System (i-SPAAA), Radio Kuala Lumpur, email, letters, and even complaints filed at its branch offices.
“For small complaints like potholes, action will be taken within 24 hours from the time the complaint is received, while for serious complaints, action will taken within three days,” said Tan.
MPS, meanwhile, has received 634 complaints regarding road issues in the same period. It says action is taken within 14 days of the complaint.
According to MPS public relations officer Ahmad Fauzi Ishak, of the 634 complaints, 556 have been resolved.
An MPSJ spokesman could not provide the number of complaints received in the same period but said action is taken within 14 days of a complaint.