KUANTAN: Motorists travelling along the toll-free Central Spine Road (CSR) four-lane dual-carriageway between Bentong and Kampung Relong, Lipis will soon have access to Rest and Recreation (R&R) stops.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail said two rest areas will be built along the 100km stretch, and the Works Ministry, Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM), Public Works Department and local authorities are looking into the matter.
"The Pahang government has proposed to build the R&R stops between Bentong and Raub of the CSR, and near Kampung Kechau Tui in Lipis.
"The state will provide the suitable sites and we hope works can start soon.
"The authorities will study the proposed sites for the rest stops to see if they are strategic for basic facilities for road users.
"They will also look at the building plan and planning permission. There are rules that must be adhered to," he said at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house at the Sultan Ahmad Shah Silver Jubilee Hall here today.
On the maintenance of the new rest stops, Wan Rosdy said no decision was made on the matter, but it could be handed to a concessionaire or private firm, depending on the decision by LLM.
Wan Rosdy shot down claims that toll plazas would be constructed along the CSR to ensure "top class'" highway maintenance, saying at the moment there were no plans to introduce tolls along the stretch connecting Bentong and Gua Musang.
On March 7, when opening the Raub bypass along the CSR, Works Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said the Pahang government had submitted a proposal to build rest stops and the ministry was studying the matter.
The CSR, which has no rest stops or petrol stations, made headlines for the wrong reasons last week when images of garbage discarded along the highway, including plastic bottles, polystyrene containers, and aluminium drink cans, went viral.
The litter discarded by motorists who stopped to rest along the stretch included urine-filled bottles.
Following the incident, the Pahang Solid Waste and Public Cleansing
Management Corporation placed eight bins at hotspots along the stretch for road users to dispose of their waste.
Last week, Wan Rosdy reportedly said the state government has no plans to take action against road users who litter along the stretch and motorists should not be blamed for causing the mess as no rest stops were provided along the CSR.
The CSR comprises six phases: from Kuala Krai to Jambatan Sungai Lakit, Kelantan; Jambatan Sungai Lakit to Gua Musang, Kelantan; Gua Musang to Kampung Relong, Pahang; Kampung Relong to Raub, Pahang; Raub to Bentong; and Bentong to the East Coast Expressway junction.