New multi level carpark at Batu Lanchang Market has 223 parking bays. -ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
PARKING issues near the Batu Lanchang market and food court will hopefully be a thing of the past with the opening of a new multi-storey carpark.
The six-storey structure can accommodate 223 cars, which will help alleviate woes related to lack of parking space for market-goers in the area.
Incumbent Batu Lanchang assemblyman Ong Ah Teong said the RM15.8mil multi-storey carpark took about four years to complete after works began in 2019.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and movement control order, the construction of the carpark was put on hold for about two years,” he said.
Ong also said construction of the building was completed on June 19 this year.
Final inspections were then carried out to ensure the carpark was safe for public use.
He said he had initially requested the state government and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) to build three additional multi-storey carparks in the constituency but only one was approved.
“We hope this will ease issues with lack of parking space in the area which has been a problem for years for those coming to the market,” he said, adding that the existing carpark at the market could still be utilised by the public.
Ong said for the first month, the public could use the multi-storey carpark for free, until the announcement of the parking rate by MBPP.
MBPP in a statement said the new multi-storey carpark began operations at 8am on July 25.
“The public can access the new multi-storey carpark from behind the Batu Lanchang market,” the statement said.
MBPP added that the facility was expected to meet the needs of the public, especially concerning lack of parking space in the area around the market.
MBPP hoped for cooperation from the public and carpark users to take good care of the facility.
The carpark is operational 24 hours.
Clerk Muhd Syawal Azmi, 50, welcomed the new multi-storey facility and described it as timely especially for market-goers.
“Parking was a huge problem here in the past, but now with the new carpark, it will help solve the problem,” he said.
Muhd Syawal, who is a regular at the Batu Lanchang market, hoped the carpark would be maintained not only by the local council but the people using it as well. New multi-level carpark at Batu Lanchang Market has 223 parking bays. — ZHAFARAN NASIB/The Star
