KUANTAN: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s (UTM) Faculty of Built Environment (FBE) will be roped in to help identify a solution to bring an end to the longstanding traffic congestion issue in popular tourist destination Cameron Highlands.
Cameron Highlands MP Datuk C. Sivarraajh said he had held discussions with Dr S Gobi Krishna from UTM's Department of Urban Regional Planning to seek their expertise to develop a long-term traffic mitigation plan for the area.
He said the findings and proposals from the study which is expected to take several months would be compiled and presented to the ministries, and agencies concerned to help put the plan into action.
“Once the plan is completed, we will look into what can be done as short and long term traffic solutions. We will seek assistance from the police and Public Works Department (PWD) to implement the minor ones like traffic control, road closures and diversions while we discuss the major plans with the Federal government.
“The proposals and outcome of the study which requires a huge budget (to implement) will be handed to the relevant ministries and I might need to also discuss with Economic Affairs Minister (Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali),” he said when contacted.
Sivarraajh said a memorandum of understanding will be signed between UTM and a soon-to-be-formed official taskforce which will involve all the stakeholders under his service centre, here.
He said since Cameron Highlands is a popular eco and agro tourism destination which receives a strong visitor arrival every week, it is a priority to find a solution to help reduce traffic congestion in the area.
“It is something that we cannot avoid and at the moment, additional manpower from the police force have been stationed at strategic locations during the weekends and public holidays to guide motorists to ensure smooth traffic,” he said.
Meanwhile an officer from the State PWD, who declined to be named, said there was previously a plan for an alternative route to be built in the highlands resort town but was estimated to cost hundreds of millions of ringgit.
He said the new bypass road planned between Tringkap and Habu was costly as it involved clearing the hilly terrain to allow road construction works.
“It was supposed to be a new alternative bypass for people to reach Cameron Highlands but plans to build the road never materialised due to the cost and potential environmental impact. However, the plan could be revived and done according to a suitable budget but it first requires an Environmental Impact Assessment study,” he said.
Several years ago there was an aerial tram project proposed in the Cameron Highlands Draft Local Plan 2030 to ease traffic congestion but many were against the idea of another mega project which could affect the eco-system.
The previous government had also approved RM40 million to ease the traffic congestion in Cameron Highlands including plans for new roads and multi-storey carparks but the plans were halted after losing in the 14th General Election.
The recent public holidays had resulted in nasty traffic congestion in Cameron Highlands which went viral on social media and various quarters have come forward hoping for a long-term solution to ease the traffic flow.