Safer streets for Brickfields

The Star

Long plagued by reckless driving, near-misses with pedestrians, and illegal parking, Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, is set for a major redesign.   The planned transformation by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will see narrower lanes, raised pedestrian crossings, kerb extensions, speed humps, and visual narrowing features.   WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news  SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar  LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

Transcript

00:00A major transformation is coming to one of Kuala Lumpur's busiest neighbourhoods.

00:07Jalan Sultan Abdul Samad in Brickfields, a key thoroughfare in KL's Little India,

00:13will undergo a complete redesign to tackle its long-standing road safety problems.

00:18The 1.5-kilometre stretch has been plagued by reckless driving,

00:22near-miss incidents and illegal parking for years.

00:26Despite a 30-kilometre-per-hour speed limit, vehicles have been clocked at over 70 kilometres per hour in what is supposed to be a school zone.

00:35DBKL Urban Transportation Department Deputy Director Mohamed Azri Abdul Aziz says the overhaul isn't just cosmetic.

00:43It incorporates proven urban planning measures, from narrower lanes and raised pedestrian crossings,

00:48to curb extensions and speed humps, all designed to naturally slow down vehicles without relying solely on enforcement.

00:56The project will be implemented in three phases, starting at the end of July.

01:08The redesign, however, faces a unique challenge.

01:11Numerous roadside stalls that line the walkways, some operating over tactile paving meant for the visually impaired.

01:19These vendors, while providing essential services, create congestion and safety hazards.

01:25The vendors must be out of this place. The vendors. Once the vendors, they all have taken it out,

01:31we have got enough space to walk, we can walk. But, you see there's the mother lady and all those people are selling there.

01:38Sometimes, when you're walking, they pour the oil, and you tend to slip on it.

01:44And, their stands, when you walk, you know, sometimes you tend to drip on it also, especially old people.

01:52And I've got my husband who's over 80. I've got a wheelchair, I've got everything, but I'm unable to bring him out.

01:58Officials acknowledge that proper relocation of these vendors is crucial for the project's success.

02:04Penjajah ni dia, dia isu penjajah ni adalah isu yang lain lah, isu yang paling besar.

02:09Because, kalau kita tengok di Kuala Lumpur, penjajah ni adalah salah satu isu yang pihak PBT kena hadapi lah.

02:15Saya rasa bukan di Kuala Lumpur sahaja, di mana-mana bandar-bandar besar, penjajah ni jadi problem.

02:20Cuma, daripada jabatan daripada DBKL, kalau kita mahu strictly buang penjajah tu agak susah lah, sebab dia berbagai isu di situ.

02:29Jadi, tapi pada kami, kami melihat dari segi macam mana kita nak mengubah persepsi community,

02:35supaya apa yang kami buat ni, community boleh bersama-sama dengan kita dan menghargai apa yang DBKL buat.

02:43Maybe satu hari nanti, penjajah ni dengan sendiri dia akan beralih,

02:48because kita dah upgrade, dah naikkan taraf ni, dah jadi cantik, accessible, semua orang boleh guna.

02:54Dan penjajah ni dia berasa, it's now time to them untuk remove from here.

02:59Itu yang kita minta.

03:01DBKL's Urban Transport Department is working on this project with the Global Designing Cities Initiative, GDCI,

03:08Bike Commute Malaysia, and the Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research, MIROS.

03:14GDCI provides the designs, while DBKL handles implementation.

03:19What can we expect once all these projects are in?

03:23Will there be a very seamless travelling?

03:26It will be a lot safer for pedestrians and bicyclists,

03:30and we are hoping also because of this improvement,

03:33we can actually channelising the traffic better,

03:36also reducing the traffic, the vehicle speed as well.

03:40So create a more liveable environment for the people in Brickfield,

03:44and also easier for them to use sustainable mobility,

03:48and also connect to the public transportation systems,

03:51using green mobility, biking and walking.

03:57And also, at the end, we hope that this project will improve road safety in Brickfield.

04:03Brickfields is the third location to receive this treatment,

04:06following successful implementations in Setapak and Tamantun Dr. Ismail.

04:12The project is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety,

04:17and will also serve as a benchmark for Kuala Lumpur's long-term goal

04:21of creating a safer, more pedestrian-friendly city.

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