KUALA LUMPUR: Motorists using Jalan Raja for their daily commute should brace for delays, diversions and route reversals to make way for the city’s annual Ramadan bazaar, which will operate in the heritage quarter.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said traffic along the two lanes on the road which channels vehicles from Jalan Tun Perak would be reversed from midnight until 1pm, from May 1 to June 10.
The two lanes are then expected to be restored to channelling vehicles from Jalan Tun Perak.
This is to allow motorists to access the city via Jalan Tun Perak in the morning, and exit from the city via the road into Jalan Hishamuddin and beyond in the evenings.
Nor Hisham said buses would be allowed to drop off their passengers at the intersection of the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery and move on to Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Parlimen by turning into Leboh Pasar Besar and wait at Padang Merbok.
“Signboards would also be erected to inform motorists and pedestrians by Saturday morning when the changes take place and marquee tents are set up for the bazaar,” he said.
Nor Hisham, who visited the bazaar site – sited in front of the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building –with his officers today, also instructed them to beef up the existing seven enforcement officers stationed to man traffic there on shifts.
He said the police have given their guarantee that there would not be any unnecessary road closures in the area during the period.
It was learnt that an estimated 84,000 people use the roads daily.
Nor Hisham called for patience on the part of the public, saying it was part of a greater plan for Kuala Lumpur, which is, among others, to promote tourism and pedestrianisation in the city, which had over the years been increasingly crippled by gridlock.
The Ramadan bazaar, which was previously held in Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, will for the first time be relocated to Jalan Raja this year. This is to enable Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman to be closed to vehicle traffic on weekends.
The move to shift the Ramadan bazaar had previously courted both praise and controversy. While many had praised the move as a proactive way to tackle the city’s traffic situation, others, including shop owners, had objected, claiming that they would suffer a drop in business.
Traders associations had also objected to City Hall’s online registration system for Ramadan bazaar traders, which the council said was a fairer method of distributing trading lots.
The Jalan Raja Ramadan bazaar will run from May 6 to June 5.
Meanwhile, Nor Hisham said the weekend closure of Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman will remain, and the decision would be reviewed every three months.
“So far our surveys showed that the majority are in favour of the move. The only negative feedback is on the traffic flow, which stagnates in front of the Sogo shopping centre where the traffic is diverted into Jalan Raja Laut,” he said.
“We will be using our electronic signboard system and we will also tow cars which breach the barricade,” he added.
Nor Hisham said City Hall will conduct a post-mortem assessment on the bazaar’s operation after the Hari Raya holidays.
“It will be done about a month after Raya. I don’t want to delay this because next year, Ramadan falls on April.”