The traffic snarls along Jalan Perusahaan in Juru, Penang, are stressing out workers who have to use the road daily. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star
TRAFFIC jam is so bad in the Juru area in Bukit Mertajam, Penang, that Ahmad Tajuddin Zakaria has been leaving for work at least two hours early for the past 10 years.
Although the distance between the factory worker’s house and his workplace is only about 6km, he often needs up to two hours to get to work.
Ahmad Tajuddin: Public buses often not in service, ply on low frequency.
“I have been staying here for 29 years and the traffic jam during peak hours is getting from bad to worse.
“I have to travel from my house in Bukit Tengah to the Prai industrial area and I will have to pass through Jalan Perusahaan, one of the main roads which is massively congested.
“The jam usually starts from 6.30am to 9am and from 4.30pm to 8pm on weekdays.
“I feel stressed as I am always worried about getting to work late,” said Ahmad Tajuddin, 50.
Although there are public buses, the frequency is low.
“They are also often not in service. I want to try taking public transport to work, but I dare not take the risk.
“I hope that the future MP can fix this ongoing problem so we can start our work day with peace of mind.
“It is a waste of time being stuck in a jam for hours every day because this not only causes stress but also reduces our work productivity,” said Ahmad Tajuddin.
Mohd Iqbal: Road repairs take a long time, reduces number of lanes.
Manpower supply director Mohd Iqbal Kader Gani, 44, claimed that locals had made many complaints but their voices were not heard.
“There are many factories here and the jam usually starts from Bukit Tengah all the way to Prai.
“Besides, there are many heavy vehicles on the road.
“The worst experience I had was when I only moved 1km in 45 minutes. It was the eve of a festive season. There was an accident and it was pouring.
“On top of the frequent traffic jams, the road repair works seem to be taking a long time.
“At one point, the three-lane road was left with only one lane.
“Sometimes, I prefer to take a motorcycle to work, but it is dangerous when it rains,” Mohd Iqbal added.
Batu Kawan Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Tan Lee Huat, who was present to listen to Ahmad Tajuddin and Mohd Iqbal’s pleas, said the traffic woes in the area had been an ongoing problem for many years.
“A viable solution is to widen the road and if there is sufficient allocation, a flyover can be built.
“The link below will be for local destinations and the flyover can be used by those who want to travel to south Seberang Prai. They usually get caught in a traffic jam at the Juru toll.
“I will also follow up and get to the root of why the road construction works are taking up so much time,” said Tan.
“I understand that people are stressed out as they are stuck in a jam for hours.
“Development is of course important, but we have to have basic infrastructure to complement it,” he said.
Tan: Widening road and building aflyover may reduce congestion.
Batu Kawan will see a five- cornered fight with Tan facing Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow from Pakatan Harapan, Ong Chin Wen (Parti Warisan), Wong Chia Zhen (Perikatan Nasional) and Lee Ah Liang (Parti Rakyat Malaysia).
As of Sept 15, Batu Kawan had 88,864 voters, with the Chinese making up 53.9% or 47,944 voters. There are also 20,393 Malay voters and 19,765 Indians, while the other 762 are of other races.
