Ananda (left) handing over to Hazlin a memorandum requesting free bus service for Sunway Sinar apartment residents. — KK SHAM/The Star
FOR 16 years, residents of Sunway Sinar apartments in Shah Alam have been having a hard time commuting daily as they do not have bus service in the area.
Although Selangor provides free bus rides within its capital city, the service does not cover the apartments’ neighbourhood.
In appealing for the service to be extended to their area, Sunway Sinar residents presented a memorandum to Shah Alam mayor Dr Nor Fuad Abdul Hamid asking for their apartment block to be included in the Selangor free bus’ route.
Their representative Ananda Munusamy, 48, talked about the financial constraints of the residents who needed to go to work, school and run errands.
“Our community includes a significant number of elderly people who would greatly benefit from improved access to hospitals and medical facilities.
“The lack of schools nearby also poses a challenge for the children living here, as the closest school is some 10km away.
“This makes their daily commute more difficult,” he said.
Suresh says Sunway Sinar residents have problems commuting.
Around 100 signatures were collected from households, calling for the state’s free bus service to include their area.
The memorandum was received by the mayor’s special officer (technical) Hazlin Ibrahim and Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) deputy enforcement director Khalidon Haron.
The residents were accompanied by Parti Sosialis Malaysia’s (PSM) Shah Alam branch head Suresh Balasubramaniam.
Suresh said that ever since the residents relocated to Sunway Sinar apartments, they had been deprived of a bus service.
“These people were moved here from Kampung Rasak and Kampung Saujana (currently known as TTDI Jaya) and they have always had problems commuting.
“Before this, the residents wrote to many parties but no action was taken.
“Considering that the residents belong to the B40 group, it is crucial to prioritise their transportation needs and ensure they have reliable means to move around,” he added.
The closest bus stop, said Suresh, was about 2km from the apartments, forcing residents to depend on ehailing services and kereta sapu (cars illegally picking up paying passengers).
Using these transport options will lead to increased expenses, which is a burden for the many poor residents, he pointed out.
