BRINCHANG: The public are exposing themselves to danger by parking their vehicles at an empty plot opposite the agricultural market in Kea Farm, Cameron Highlands.
The plot of land is totally barren, exposed and badly damaged by soil erosion.
It appears to be a ticking time bomb waiting to happen as the erosion had worsened over time, exposing an even steeper slope which poses a possible landslide risk, but the public seemed to be oblivious to the danger.
A tourist from Kuala Lumpur, Joseph Tan, said he parked his car at the empty lot as it is free and difficult to park elsewhere in Kea Farm.
“I had parked by the main road previously, but I got a summon from the police.
“I’m not aware of any danger, and since other people also parked here, I guess it is safe,” said Tan, who is on holiday with his wife and children.
Meanwhile, Regional Environment Awareness Cameron Highlands (REACH) president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy said local authorities should solve the parking woes in Kea Farm, as it is one of the bottlenecks which cause serious traffic jams in Cameron Highlands especially during the festive season.
He said the empty land is supposed to be the site of some 100 new stalls to be built by the local council.
“Once the stalls are built, the parking problems will only worsen,” he said.
He also concurred that the land is dangerous to be used as a temporary car park due to the exposed top soil and slope.
He added the current rainy spell will only worsened the erosion.
“We should not wait until disaster happens before something is done about it,” said Ramakrishnan.
The Cameron Highlands district council could not be immediately reached for comment.